Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned
by elizabethyeoman
Summary: Sequel to Cupid's Sick In The Head! Elena and Klaus deal with their new life in the Crescent City as Klaus takes over control. The only way I know to focus on updating this story is if people review! So PLEASEEEEEE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!**

Chapter 1:

"Screw this." Matt said as he walked out of the room, his hands in the air. Elena squinted her eyes at the mess that laid in front of her. Matt yelled from the kitchen, "Why couldn't you just pay someone to put it together?" His figure vanished in the long hallways of their house.

"I thought as roommates we could do something as a pair." She said, "It shouldn't be this hard to put together an entertainment center!" She huffed as she looked at the directions once more, "Do you think the long piece or the skinny piece is section A?" Matt walked back into the "game room" with a bottle of beer. His blonde hair was growing out into a shaggy mess that wasn't at all like the former Matt. It made her laugh sometimes when he talked about his _new town, new me _mantra. Even if he was changing the minor aspects of his physical appearance, he still wore t-shirts and jeans all the time- even when Klaus deemed it inappropriate.

"And why couldn't Klaus join us?" He asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Oh, that's right- he's busy trying to _control _everything in New Orleans."

She didn't appreciate his comment, "Also, he thought that the entertainment center would ruin the essence of the house. Personally, I'm tired of watching Netflix on my phone and you're having video game withdrawals." She tried to move past his undercut towards her relationship. She couldn't deny that she thought it would be _different _with Klaus. The first weeks in New Orleans were a dream- he carried her into doorways as if she were his bride, sent her flowers when he couldn't be with her, and came home swiftly every night wherever she was- but the overall romance of the move was starting to fade and they were slowly but surely drifting out of the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Matt knew this. Rebekah knew this. Kol knew this. Everyone seemed to know that she was growing more and more discontent with his behavior except _him. _

Matt joined her once more on the floor, reading the directions over and staring at the box for reference. "The long one is A." He answered flatly as he reached for the piece, "Hand me that nut…yeah, that one." He captained the operation until they were looking at a light wood entertainment center. "Now we just need a television."

"Yeah." She breathed, "What if Klaus breaks up with me?" She asked as she scrunched up her eyebrows. The fears the every woman faces were running through her head as she looked at the first piece of furniture that she'd put in the house by herself without his approval.

"Over an entertainment center? That's ridiculous." Typical man response.

"What if he doesn't find me as appealing?" She voiced her thoughts, "I mean…I wasn't the prettiest girl in Mystic Falls but I was definitely one of them but here- there are so many pretty girls plus, I don't know a thing about _running _a kingdom. I couldn't even be cheer captain!" Matt placed two firm hands on her shoulder, "I understand." She nodded, "Calm down Elena…you're acting like a psychopath."

"You're just nervous because you can't run home." Matt said with a soft smile on his face, "This isn't our comfort zone." He removed his hands from her shoulders, "I have to meet up with Rebekah at-" He pulled out his phone to check the time, "Now."

Elena smiled, although it couldn't be fully genuine, "Yeah…you should go." He nodded as he exited the room, and soon exited the house. She liked to lay on the floor and look at the house- reciting the description the realtor gave in her head:

"_This splendid mansion, built in a French 18th Century style, is located on a most desirable, New Orleans corner of St. Charles Avenue and State Street. Designed with elegant living and entertaining areas, this home has a beautiful staircase with bronze-capped railing, large kitchen and wet bars, incredible master suite with bathrooms of onyx and gilt fittings, three additional bedrooms with en suite baths, game room, elevator, magnificent pool, courtyard and garage. One of the best built homes in the South...A rare opportunity!" _

She doubted the description did any real justice to the house- it was amazing. She sighed heavily as she stood up and started to move around and decide what she was going to do with the rest of her day. She was thinking of going back to school…she needed something to distract her from getting bored. She also thought, in the depths of her mind, that she would look into the magic of New Orleans despite promising herself that she wouldn't indulge in the power. She wouldn't be practicing magic though- she would just be studying it. She could simply learn the basic just in case.

The only problem being that she would have to go behind Klaus' back to study magic and she wasn't willing to do that. She'd thought of telling him multiple times but there never seemed to be a chance. In the time that she saw him, he was either angry with the population or completely caught up in his desire. She once feared being a small-town politician's wife…now, she was major politician's girlfriend- it seemed far worse than her previous fear.

Don't misunderstand her emotions, she loved Klaus vehemently but this distance was noxious. It pained her to be away from him this way- even if he was a five minute drive from her or a minute vampire run- she couldn't take it. She wanted to touch him, feel him and pamper him like she should be able to. She wanted to be able to have dinner cooked at a reasonable hour and to know that he was going to walk in the door. She wanted to _date_ and attend festivals without there being a plot to gain followers involved.

But, she was a big girl. She could handle it, right? It wasn't going to be like that forever- it was either going to get better or worse and although she opted for better, she could see that _worse_ was in the lead at the moment. He was having problems with an old acquaintance that Elena had met once. Marcel, or more commonly known as the _son of a bitch _in her household, was practically Klaus' son in another life and he was currently the unofficial official leader of the New Orleans group. Of course, Klaus took reign as the _official _leader- he was just so cold towards the other vampires, they hated him. Elena had the overwhelming urge to tell him to e_arn _their respect rather than _demand _it but she knew it would only distance them more.

Elena reached for her Michael Kor's bag as she walked out of the house. She took her phone out of her front pocket and dialed Alaric's number. "Here's a riddle." She said as she heard his voice on the other line, "What is brunette, about 5'5'' and misses you like crazy?"

"What is Elena Gilbert." Alaric answered with a chuckle, "How are you doing kid?"

"Honestly?" Elena looked around as she headed into the French Quarter. "I'm bored, Ric. I don't know anyone and Klaus is always busy…I need a hobby." She laughed, "And don't you dare say knitting or anything ridiculous like that."

"You've been in New Orleans for almost three months, right? So, you've probably explored all your tourist options. You aren't that heavy of a drinker and I wouldn't start day drinker at your age. I don't know, what do teenagers do? Go to church or something."

"Church?" She giggled, "Is that what my brother's been doing? Going to church?"

Alaric sighed, "He needs to…thinks he's the head busboy in charge around here." Elena and Alaric went back and forth with jovial comments until she was in the French Quarter. "I love you, Elena." He said, sounding a little sad that the conversation was ending.

"I love you too. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" She said, feeling the same version of sadness as she went to end the call.

"I'll wait by the phone." She heard him say before they disconnected. _Go to church… _She thought as she walked down the beautiful streets- blending in like a tourist to the humans, but standing out among the supernatural species. She was _Klaus' girl- _marked by his distasteful leadership, labeled either an idiot or an equally distasteful monster by the rebellious vampires.

She often heard Klaus speak of a priest named Kieran when he was in one of his rambling moods. He would talk about the conscience of the priest that seemed to always tamper with Klaus' plans. With that in mind, she found his church and stepped foot into it. For a second, she believed she would combust into flames or lightning would come down and strike her. The priest must have recognized her expression because he said, "Your sins cannot be that heavy, child."

"You'd be surprised." Elena said nervously as she walked to him, "Father." She greeted him with a head nod, "I'm Elena Gilbert." It was a rare thing to introduce herself- she liked it.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Gilbert." He laughed, "I haven't seen you in these pews before…in light of recent events, I would remember you." His face fell slightly as he spoke, "Would you like to confess something?"

"Um…" Her eyes found the Confessional, "I don't-sure." In minutes, she sat on one side of the opaque divider- her mind going through the standards for a good confession. She waited as second before she began, crossing herself- "Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been two years since my last confession."

"Why is that?"

She frowned, "My faith has struggled since my parent's death… of course, the existence of vampires, witches and werewolves haven't helped that much."

"E-e-excuse me?" Kieran stuttered, "You must be mistaken."

She continued to speak, ignoring his interruption. "I haven't stopped thinking that, if there were a merciful god, he wouldn't allow innocent people to die…but then I realize that it is not god killing these people- its people killing people. It's not just my faith that struggles, I am guilty of keeping secrets from my boyfriend…I hate calling him my boyfriend, he's not really a boy. I suppose it's still considered a sin to fornicate as well, so I'm guilty of that. I haven't been understanding…at least, I feel like I haven't."

"What is your boyfriend?"

"Don't you mean who?"

"I mean what." Kieran said, "You know of vampires, witches, and werewolves so your boyfriend must fall in one of the categories."

"Klaus." She sighed, "I'm sure you know what Klaus _is._"

"You're _that _Elena." She could hear him nodding, "I'm surprised that I haven't seen you more often… I hear you are extremely forgiving and compassionate."

"From Klaus?" She asked, curious to who his source was. She couldn't see Klaus talking about her- bragging about her- with a priest while threatening him. It just wasn't Klaus.

"Elijah." He corrected her. Elena looked around the confessional- anger spiking within her. Blame her vampire emotions, but she wanted to choke Klaus' tiny little neck with her hybrid strength. He _knew _that Elijah and Elena had a friendship. Why wouldn't he tell her?

"Klaus didn't tell me Elijah was in town." She blinked a few times as she tried to subside her anger, "He knows that I favor Elijah and yet, he doesn't bother to tell me that he's in town?" She wanted to put her fist in her mouth but she couldn't, "This is exactly our problem! This is what he does… ever since we moved here he's started playing the part of the big bad wolf and he thinks he can control every situation! Shouldn't I have a part in the decisions? Shouldn't I, at least, be informed that we have guests among us? All I hear about is how _hard _his days been and can I please _ease _his mind…" She was glad she went to church, not because she was angry with Klaus but because she could get a lot of her problems with their relationship off her chest. "It's _hard_ being the girlfriend of the most hated person in New Orleans! It wasn't exactly easy being the girlfriend of an Original vampire in my hometown but at least he was home every single night!"

"Elena…" Kieran said, "Try to focus on your forgiveness. Klaus isn't trying to hurt you."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go." She opened the confessional door at the same time Kieran did. He looked over her as Klaus entered the church. His hard look faded as he looked at Elena, her face becoming a fake version of calm. He leaned in to kiss her but she moved her head, "We're in a church." She told him with a stern look in her eye- she really didn't care if they were in a church or not, she just didn't want to kiss him. She looked at Kieran who seemed to be choking back something, but then she returned her gaze to Klaus. "Elijah's back and you didn't tell me?" She hissed.

"I planned on it." He argued, "I really did but-"

"But? Elijah is a dear friend of mine and you are my-my boyfriend and you didn't think it was important to tell me?" She took in a deep breath, smiling that scary type of smile that girl's seemed to get when they were extremely pissed off. "Let's not fight right now. Continue with what you were doing, I'm going back to _my house." _Translation: _"I swear to god if you aren't home three minutes after I get there I will end your life." _He clearly got the message.

"It can wait." He told her, following after her partially stomping feet. She exited the church before he did, leaving Klaus time to say- "Kieran you have a big mouth for a priest."

"I thought it was common knowledge that the original-that-always-wears-a-suit is back." He smirked, "I would follow her unless you want hell to break lose within your household."

Klaus tried to think of all the things that he'd done wrong lately. He knew he wasn't giving her as much attention but she had to understand that he needed to get proper footing in this town for things to work out. "Elena…" He called after her, "I'm sorry." It was rare for him to apologize to anyone- although he'd done it a few times to her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you my moral brother was back in town." The way he said it made him sound jealous.

She stopped in her quick footsteps, turning around. "I'm not just upset that you didn't tell me about Elijah. Klaus, things aren't in balance here."

"Here?"

"With us."

"I can agree with that." He seemed at a loss for words to explain why things were out of balance. She knew though- she knew what started the distance and it wasn't him.

She blinked, "I'm a witch."

"A what?" He most definitely heard what she said, he just needed her to repeat it.

"I'm a witch!" She repeated, louder. "I can start fires with my mind and I didn't tell you. That's where this started- and things have just snowballed. We aren't telling each other things and when we are, it's never directly about us."

"You're a witch." He touched his face, "So technically, you're more qualified to run this city than I am." He laughed as he processed what she was saying. "A witch?" He seemed to ask himself, "That's amazing." He finally got the chance to kiss her- the type of kiss one normally doesn't do in public. It was full on passionate as their tongues battled in an epic war that neither one could win.

Klaus couldn't be naïve to think that a kiss could solve their problems- that was a fool's way of thinking. He was going to have to put a serious effort into letting her know her importance to him. It may not seem like it, but she was far more important than New Orleans or being in charge. She was the love of his immortal life…someone who could rip him to pieces with a look- if her innocent heart dared.

"Come home with me?" She asked sweetly, not wanting to get into a huge argument anymore. They could be civil about it- they didn't have to fight and cry. "I'll cook dinner and we can talk." He agreed, even though it was hard to _talk _when she was so alluring.

"Of course."

"And tomorrow, Klaus…" She told him in her serious voice, "I will be spending time with Elijah but I want you to know that you have no reason to be jealous. Elijah is noble, but you have my heart and he may have a stronger hold on his morality than you but you're getting better even though we really need to talk about the blood stains on your white shirts."

"I trust you." He assured her, "I just wish I could have your respect the way he has your respect."

"But you do…"

"No, I don't." He said, "It's okay because one day I will. I know your respect for Elijah is based off results and I can produce results, Elena."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Elena's footsteps echoed throughout the church as she sat next to Kieran. His hands gripped a rosary while he prayed- his words inaudible. She waited patiently for him to finish before she began speaking, "Do you think I'm damned?" She asked quietly. He sat there with a look of deep thought on his face. It made her nervous.

"Not exactly." He responded, "I believe you can find peace."

"How?" She whispered, "I had an Aunt, her name was Jenna and she passed on from the other-side…she wasn't trapped like my brother's former girlfriend Anna or his other former girlfriend. She just _passed on_ but when I died- I didn't. I don't understand why I didn't pass on."

"I'm sorry for your loss, how did your aunt die?"

Elena sighed, "Klaus _sacrificed_ her." She could read his mind by the expression on his face. He was wondering how she moved passed that, how she could be so in love with a vampire that killed her guardian- her friend- her aunt. But, he knew better than to ask that question so they moved on.

"Are there any prominent sins in your life that reoccur?" He asked as his grip tightened on his rosary.

She blushed, "The only one I can think of right now is sex out of marriage…I've never killed anyone, if that's what you're asking."

"Maybe that's your issue." He opened up his bible, flipping to a specific page in which he marked.

She looked at him with wide eyes as confusion raced through her mind. "I wasn't able to pass on because I'm too sexually active?" She asked as she let out a small laugh, "So, what do I do? Swear off sex with Klaus? Have you seen him? He's absolutely gorgeous."

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." He recited, "Galatians 5:16. Would you like anymore verses or do you get the picture?"

"The picture has been received."

**XXX**

After her morning meeting with Kieran, her day was completely sidetracked. Elijah only made her think of Klaus which made her think of the fact she'd been shamed and shamed _good _about their sexual promiscuity. Why? Because Kieran didn't think she'd received the picture so he continued with his lesson on how she should not be tempted by the flesh. But it was such _hot _flesh that she was tempted by- that had to count in someone's book, right?

She didn't know what she would do when she was finally hit by the weight of her decision to "humor" Kieran. Right now, it was merely the memory of their passion that haunted her thoughts and a few fears. What if they didn't connect without sex in their relationship? What if they started fighting? _Makeup sex… NO. _She couldn't let her think of the trouble she could get herself in with makeup sex. She let out a long sigh as Elijah talked, "Am I boring you?"

"No." She said immediately, "No, of course not…I'm just…" _Fantasizing_ _about your brother. _She took in a deep breath, and smiled. "No, you're not boring me."

"But you are distracted." Elijah noted, "Tell me why."

"You're bossy, Elijah. Do you know that?" She looked around, grabbing her phone thinking she needed to google ways to relieve sexual tension that didn't involve sex. It was probably inappropriate to do in that moment, though.

"Yes."

She googled anyway. "I need a hobby." She declared without giving any reasoning for her silence beforehand. "I need something to clear my head."

"Alright, New Orleans has a lot of things to do…do you read?"

"Moderately." She sighed, "I've always been the type to write more than I read. I'm not saying that I need to join a creative writing class because the next thing you know, I'm in a club where everyone wants to read Fifty Shades of Grey and I'm screwed." She rolled her eyes, "I could do what Stefan always did, he punched bricks and did four hundred pushups but then again- I don't want to be so…sad."

"Are you having problems controlling your thirst?" He asked, "It's quite common in new vampires."

"Um. Yeah, I'm just having problems controlling my desires…for blood. It's a new concept to me though, I just want to cut back- completely. Like, no more until I'm mar- I think I can control myself."

"It wouldn't be a horrible idea to work out, run a little, but if you really need a hobby you should probably start practicing magic."

"No." She said, "Like I told Klaus last night, I have no intentions of being a witch. I've seen where magic can get out of control- personally, I don't think I'm ready for that. Plus, the witches around here wouldn't even teach me how to float a feather."

"I'm sure Klaus and I could find you a witch." He pushed.

"No."

**XXX**

She walked into the small, broken down bar. That's right- she was avoiding her house by drinking, no one really needed to know. She sat down in front of the bartender who was turned around, "I was wondering when you would walk in here, Elena Gilbert."

"That's not creepy…" She mumbled under her breath as he turned around. He was an older man, brown hair with small gray hairs mixed sporadically on the sides. He had brown eyes that were almost black and a set of perfect teeth. She could tell that he practiced magic by the smell of fire on his clothes, it was the type of smell someone doesn't forget after spending any amount of time with a witch.

"The spirits told me to look out for you…I've seen your face once or twice before on a different woman, real bitch by the way, so I knew what to expect." He nodded, "I'm Jason." He put his hand out for her to shake, "Jason O'Connell."

"As in Kieran O'Connell." She said, "He didn't tell me he had a witch in the family."

"Warlock." He corrected, "And he wouldn't. I'm his gay, magic practicing, rebellious, adoptive nephew. It's not usually what the priest leads with in conversation."

"Wow." She laughed, "I thought my family dynamics were difficult."

"Really? Explain." He grabbed something off the shelf, putting it in front of her. "Drink. Chat. And then I'll tell you why the spirits sent you my way."

"I grew up like a normal person and then I discovered my family has a history of vampire hunting, no big deal small town. Then, I find out that my dad is really my uncle and vice versa. Oh, and this is all after my parents die." She took a drink, "I'm not saying that it's a hard life but it's definitely different."

"To abnormal families." He also took a drink. "Alright, you were pulled to this bar tonight because I have a message for you."

"And what is that?" She laughed, "I've already cut sex out of my life so if that's what they want- it's done."

"No, no the dead witches want you to practice magic." He sighed, "And they want me to teach you. Listen, before you object to that just listen…your magic will get out of control if you don't use it and learn how to handle it. You're strong, Elena."

"So what?"

"So…one night you could be sleeping in your bed and you wake up and you're floating, or you've caught your house on fire, or something worse. The possibilities are endless."

"Looks like Elijah gets his way…as well as Klaus. I can't burn down my house." She laughed, "It's such a beautiful house."

**XXX**

Elena walked into her house, throwing the key into a vase in the entryway. She didn't hear the soft sounds of Matt breathing but rather, the sound of Klaus walking around stuffing junk food in his mouth. _Okay, night one- no sex. _She tried to smile at the thought that she was accomplishing something but she knew this was going to be difficult. "Hey, goose." She said as she followed him into the kitchen where he put the bag of Doritos on the island and opened her fridge. "We have frozen pizzas in the freezer and ice cream but other than that it's all snack food."

"You two are living an unhealthy lifestyle." He commented, "Something else for you to confess to Kieran." He laughed, "Aside from what I have planned for you tonight." His seductive voice floated into her ears like a beautiful song. He shut the refrigerator doors, "We can go upstairs…I can run some water…"

"Nope." She said, popping her 'p' as she backed away from him. "No, no, no, no, no." She put her hands up in the air as she watched his face fall. "We can't have sex anymore."

"What?" He laughed, "Funny Elena…" He moved closer to her, one foot in front of the other in a slow stride that only made him hotter. _Control yourself, Elena. _

"I'm not joking, Kieran said-" She tried to explain but Klaus cut her off at the sound of Kieran's name.

"Kieran said what?" He asked.

"-Don't be tempted by the flesh." She tried to back away from him but she only hit a wall. He shook his head with a smirk on his face. He used his vampire speed to press his beautiful body against hers, those thin clothes weren't helping much. "H-he said don't-" His lips touched her neck, teasingly.

"He said what, love?" He knew what he was doing as his hands rested on either side of her head. Her breathing was shallow as he kissed her quickly on her lips.

She raised her eyebrows, "I have a lot of self-control, Klaus." At that moment, she wasn't even sure she was trying to convince Klaus.

"Sure you do, Angel. I know." His hand fell down to her hip, sliding down her leg until he had a strong grip on her thigh. A hiss broke from her lips as he pulled her leg around his back- pressing himself harder against her. "One problem, I don't." He kissed her neck one more time before he completely walked away from her, "But if you insist on being celibate…" She just looked at him with squinted eyes as he laughed in his own little world.

"Alright." Elena said, "You want to play games…I can play games, too." She walked out of the room, grabbing his Doritos before she went and sat in the game room. Matt finally picked up and TV and installed it into their entertainment center. He came walking into the room like he was the champion of something. He sat down on the couch with her.

"So, what are we going to do this teenage style? I get to kiss my hot girlfriend on the couch while the adults are out." He asked, a little annoyed. "I think you should have given some type of warning before you decided on this."

"Warning?"

"Like a night or something completely devoted to getting the sex out of our system until this… does whatever it does."

"Ten years…" She sung like a little bird, "Ten long, sexless, years for Klaus." She repeated her song until he pounced. He wasn't trying to _make _her have sex with him, he was just trying to feel close to her and make her shut up. One of her legs wrapped around his calf as he kissed her. They alternated from soft kisses, to rough kisses, to long kisses, to short kisses.

"This would be so much more fun if we were naked." He whined as he laid on her chest, "I'm starting to regret my answer."

"What answer?"

"The ten year answer."

"I don't want to rush you into something." She brushed his hair with her fingers, "That's not the purpose of this. The purpose is that, when I die, I want to find peace. I don't want to be stuck on the other-side."

"You won't die." He said, "You're built like an original and you're, for lack of better words, kickass. So why does it matter?"

"I like to be prepared for what if's in life." She rolled her eyes, "This is going to be so hard. It's like Kieran knows how to ruin someone's life with a bible verse."

"You're the one that confessed to him…"

"Are we going to pretend that you don't go to confession?" She laughed, "I can smell you in the confessional, Klaus. I doubt you hang out there to have business meetings."

"I confess things along the lines of, I killed someone today. You confess that the only sin you're involved in his sleeping with your boyfriend." He laughed, "It's different."

"How is work?" She asked with a small smile on her face, "Did you have to be mean today?"

"Not today. It was pretty quiet for the most part…Elijah thinks it'd be wise for me to relinquish my control over internal affairs." He rubbed his head against her, trying to get comfortable. "He's kinder than I am- it'd probably be for the best if he controlled the unruly followers."

"Shit!" Elena jumped up, "I'm sorry" She said as she watched his face as he fell against the couch. "I forgot to call Alaric today…I had lunch with Elijah and then I went to the bar and I just…" She tried calling him, but he didn't answer. "He's going to think I don't care about him."

"No, of course not."

"He said he would wait by the phone. What if he did?"

"I'm sure he'll be okay." Klaus patted the cushion of the couch, "Sit down and relax. He'll call back when he's not busy."

"I hope so."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

She tasted him. It was that bad. She could taste him on the tip of her tongue even though he was not even in a mile radius of her. Rebekah and Elena were drinking a bottle of white wine- the inexpensive type that you could get anywhere, especially a drug store. "I can't believe you're not having sex anymore." Rebekah said as she crossed her legs on the couch. Her blonde hair was in a messy side bun, and she wasn't wearing much makeup. "I'd die."

"Die?" Elena snorted, "That was last week. This week I am driving myself crazy. These hybrid senses are torturing me." She took a sip of the wine, "The only thing that's keeping me going is the fact Jason O'Connell is teaching me how to control my magic before I blow up New Orleans." She sucked in a hard breath, "At least I'm not as bad off as Klaus."

Rebekah started to giggle, "He is very cranky." She shifted on the couch as she started to laugh quite hysterically, "He's been snapping at everyone especially Kieran as if it's his fault that he's not having sex every night."

"I think it's better for me because it was my choice, and it's worse for him because he really didn't have a choice. I don't know, I think I'm going to let this month end and then I'm going to throw in the towel." She shrugged, "Half the world has sex out of marriage and I doubt it's the reason I couldn't pass on."

"When did you realize that?"

"Day two." She laughed, "I've just been enjoying Klaus getting all wound up. He won't even touch me and he's been making excuses about staying at your house at night. I'm pretty sure he's been having a hard time controlling himself so it's better for him to stay away."

"That's evil." Rebekah said, "My poor brother's been part of your little experiment for almost three weeks. And for some reason, I completely love the fact that you've been watching him squirm."

"I just think it's sad that my only entertainment comes from watching Klaus go through sexual deprivation."

"Oh, and starting fires with your mind." Rebekah casually pointed out. "I'm still trying to move past _guy's night out_."

"Yeah, it makes me uncomfortable to think Klaus, Matt and Kol are having a summit together." Elena shivered at the conversation, "Kol and I are pretty close…sadly, closer than Elijah and me. So, I bounce a lot of ideas and topics off of Kol and I feel like he's going to tell everyone."

"You tell Kol things you don't tell Klaus?" Rebekah scrunched up her nose, "Like what?"

"Kol is like a brother now so I talk about the whole celibate thing, things Klaus does to aggravate me, and then last week when I had nothing better to do and Kol decided we should pretend we were tourist and do tourist things and we ended up going to the strip club and smoking pot together- listen, it's just things that I don't want Klaus to know."

"You and Kol were smoking pot together?" Rebekah snorted, "Oh my god Elena- that's the end of your relationship." Rebekah's sarcasm made Elena roll her eyes, "Do you honestly think that Klaus has been 100% drug free his whole life? We've all sat back and enjoyed the tribal experience."

"I just don't want Klaus to know that I've been acting out with his brother while holding out on him due to sex."

"Have you confessed your crazy day to Kieran?"

"Of course." Elena said, "He read something out the bible, told me to stop acting like an idiot and that Kol was bad news."

"What did you do?"

"Went out with Kol again." Elena shrugged, "It's not like I can swear Kol off, he's freakin' everywhere. Plus, he's a lot more relaxed than Klaus has been…he reminds me of Jeremy without the emo thing. I need that one crazy person in my life to keep things interesting."

"And your new gay best friend doesn't keep things interesting?"

"Surprisingly, not." Elena laughed, "What are we doing, Rebekah? Our significant others are out in the town and we're just sitting here drinking cheap ass wine wondering what they are doing. Honestly, we need to be looking pretty and having a girl's night out."

"But girl's night in is so much better." She whined, "Next week we can go to the strip club, and smoke pot like we're fifteen if that's what you're into. I've been non-stop shopping for the last two days and I'm so bloody tired."

"Shopping?" Elena put her feet up on the thousand dollar coffee table, "I just feel like there's nothing to do around here."

"That's only because people you know aren't dying left and right." She said, "I think they're talking about the joys of being single."

"But they aren't."

"But they used to be." Rebekah said, "They're probably complaining about us over beers. Klaus is probably laughing that ridiculous laugh and then, Kol is probably being obnoxious as he hits on girls that will never date him and Matt is probably talking about how I shop too much."

**XXX**

"This is boring." Kol complained as he looked around the snoozing bar. "Elena and I went to this really cool place the other day, we should have gone there." The bar was in the middle of nowhere- well, as much as a bar in New Orleans can be. It was off the beaten path and of course, Matt's choice. Klaus declared this was the last time he ignored his intuition on nice places to go and trusted the internet. Its wood lining was ridiculous- scratched with deep gashes in it. Cowboy music rang in the background, but it wasn't even the original songs- it was the cover band rendition.

"My Elena?" Klaus asked, "She didn't tell me."

"She was a little-" Kol made the smoking motion and then the airhead symbol, "When we left so I doubt she even remembers." Klaus was a little jealous that Elena was having fun with his brother rather than him. He didn't even want to talk about her, even if he loved talking about her, it just wasn't good for his health.

"Wait." Matt said, leaning forward. "Elena I'm-going-to-kill-you-for-smoking-weed-with-my-brother Gilbert, was smoking with _you?_" He seemed highly interested in subject, "Did she choke?" Matt laughed at the fact that Elena was smoking with the immature original. Matt liked Kol even though he wanted to punch him in the face sometimes.

"No, she's a pro." Kol said, "She can also make it rain…which I think is awesome. This stripper Sugar loves Elena because she's a generous tipper." Kol winked, "So compassionate."

"Strip clubs and marijuana." Klaus nodded, "I think it's time that we call it a night." He stood up quickly. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Klaus was turned on by Elena's bad girl persona.

"Where are you going so fast, it's not like you're getting any." Kol pointed out a little slyly, "Sit down and drink this cheap whiskey and act like an adult. Elena's cool Klaus…she's just blowing off some steam with this whole celibate thing."

"I feel like you talk to her more than I do." Klaus realized, "Is my relationship in jeopardy?"

"Probably because every time you two talk about sex, it turns into a who-can-get-out-of-the-house-faster type of situation. I think the fact that you have overwhelming emotions towards each other indicates that you aren't falling apart."

"You sound like Dr. Phil, man." Matt said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"So, correct me if I'm wrong," She used her hands to talk which told the group of men in front of her that she was highly irritated by the situation. "You guys decided to steal the _mayor's _car because you thought you wouldn't get arrested because you're Klaus' brother…and you're his sister's boyfriend?" Matt and Kol looked at each other to see if they were in an agreement before nodding 'yes' to her question.

The dirty New Orleans jail was crawling with tourist who had too much to drink, prostitutes and Elena's favorite type of people- _idiots. _Kol and Matt wore matching shirts but different types of jeans undoubtedly Kol's grand idea. "C'mon Elena, bail us out!" Kol slurred as he whined behind the bars of the jail cell. She cut her eyes at them before turning to the officer.

"How many years is it for grand larceny?" She asked sweetly, "Up to 20 years, right?"

"You'd be correct, Miss." The pudgy officer that arrested the two said, "But the mayor already called and said I could release them as long as someone picked them up." Elena rolled her eyes, "You are going to pick them up, right?" The officer seemed to beg her to get them out of the jail.

"I suppose." She stepped away as the man unlocked the bars that caged the infantile delinquents. They'd called _her_ out of bed for this, made her promise not to tell Klaus, and ruined her night. Lucky for her, Klaus was busy pissing off the witch community with meaningless threats and minor examples of what he was capable of. Of course, she knew what was really capable of and if the witches kept pushing their limits (and boundaries) within the city he would have to take immediate action. She was prepared for it… it didn't take a witch to know that magic was brewing in the air- it just took an observant person.

She'd told Alaric of this when she talked to him on the phone before she went to bed-right after he told her he had gotten engaged. Alaric and Meredith had officially gotten together the same time her and Klaus had… She wanted to pretend that didn't bother her- she was way too young to be thinking about marriage and stuff like that. Alaric was steadily getting older and needed to marry someone that loved him and would give him the satisfaction of having his own kids one day.

So what if she was jealous?

"Err… thanks Elena." Kol said as he rubbed his wrist, "I usually like being handcuffed but that was less appealing."

"Kol, that's a little too much information." She told him, "I can't believe you two got arrested. You're so lucky Klaus is your brother." She told Kol, "If it had been my choice, you would have stayed a few nights but I can't have you two in jail when Klaus is so stressed out. On second thought, damn…it'd probably take a lot of stress off his chest if you two were in jail."

"I know what else would get a lot of stress of his chest." Kol sung as he spelled out the word, "S-E-X." Kol walked in front of Elena, "Actually, I think the fact that you two haven't been having sex is what drove us to do such an immature act."

"Please explain your theory." Elena raised her eyebrows as they opened the car doors. Kol slid in the passenger seat, winking to Matt as if his theory was at all plausible.

Kol inhaled before he started talking quickly, "Klaus and you used to have sex every night, which put us on a routine to both leave my house or your house at a certain time and then, return at a certain time so we can sleep. Since you've gone Mother Teresa on us, we've been out of a routine. Without discipline, we're sure to fail."

"So, you're a thousand years old and you need discipline to follow the laws? Do you see the obvious flaw in your logic?" Elena shook her head, "Listen, I know it hasn't been ideal but you guys have to try to behave…he's a grouch!" She felt like she was talking to children as Kol leaned back in the seat and started to pout. "Fine. Fine." She repeated, "Fine. I will give you back your _routine_ under one condition…" The fact that she had already planned sleep with Klaus made her feel a little evil as she made the deal with them. "No more late night, blackout, drunk nights."

"Really? That's all we have, Elena." Matt disagreed with her deal, "C'mon."

"Alright, no more late night, blackout, drunk nights without me." Kol looked at Matt, who nodded his head. "Deal?"

"Deal." They said in unison. Kol opened his mouth once more, "I have a sub-condition." He smirked, "If you have to come to the nights with us, then we get to pick the location."

"You always pick the location." Elena said, "That's a stupid condition."

"And the time."

"The time?"

"Like right now for instance. The night's still young, you have to sleep with my brother…why don't we do body shots? Elena you're first."

"I can agree to going out right now…but hell no, we aren't do body shots." Elena frowned, "We can do regular shots at the house."

"But I get to pick the location." Kol said, "That's the condition!"

"You can pick the location any time after I hold up my part of the deal…but you don't get to pick time because my luck, it'd be 4 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"It smells like a booze cruise in here." Rebekah said as she scrunched her nose at the scent of whiskey, rosé, vodka, beer, and a little bit of marijuana from Kol and Matt's "secret but not secret" stash. Her high heels stepped over Matt's limp hand as well as Kol's leg as she navigated through the living room until she reach the couch to shake Elena awake. "Really?" She asked with her hands on her hips, "You didn't answer any of my phone calls because you were passed out drunk!"

She opened her eyes slowly but shut them immediately when the rays of sunlight hit her face. "What time is it?" She mumbled as she stretched her body along the length of the couch. "Where's Klaus?" She tried to go back to sleep as she answered the question because hey, the couch never felt that comfortable any other time.

"Something about werewolves…" She rolled her eyes, "Elena!" She yelled, "Wake up!"

"Can you shut the fuck up Rebekah? Like damn I'm trying to sleep here." Kol called from his spot on the floor, "So damn disrespectful I swear…" He said under his breath as he rubbed his face against the rug until he found comfort. Matt hadn't moved an inch from his spot, unaware of the talking around him.

"Rude." Rebekah said before she turned her attention back to Elena, "Get up! Now! You have to help put together the dance with me. It'll be fun!" Elena wasn't in the mood to hear her voice, let alone the voices of her thousands of party planners. But, she knew that Rebekah was sensitive and would take her dismissal personally. She groaned as she got up, feeling the full pressure of her mistake upon her head.

"I have to call Klaus…I didn't even hear him come in last night."

"That's because he didn't." Kol said as he also got up, "I'm going to lay in your bed naked, okay?" A small, but hung-over, smirk appeared on his face as he walked out of the room with stiff joints, complaining about his previous position on the floor.

Elena wanted to be in _her_ bed with _her man. _"I hope you invite Jason." Rebekah said as she walked around the house, picking up bottles and cups and- "Ew is this my brother's underwear?"

"Look at the tag." Elena shrugged, "They write their names in them so they don't get their underwear confused…which confuses me. How do you get your underwear mixed up with someone else's?"

"How did Kol manage to take his underwear off?" Rebekah said as she threw them on the floor once more, "I find it disturbing to think of the stories that will result from this little _party _last night." She shook her head to clear it of the mental image. "Do you think we should have the dance here or at my house?"

"At your house." Elena said, "This is a no business, just party kind of house. Plus, if the dance is here where will I go when I want to skip out on it?"

"My house… you know, it's not even that bad of a place. I don't know why you never come over." Elena looked at her as if she should know the answer.

"That house has almost fifteen people living in it. Klaus, Kol, you and then the little army of vampires he has accumulated." Elena reached for a mug as she entered her kitchen, "It's sort of a mood killer as well as an inconvenience to have a whole bunch of supersonic hearing surrounding your love life."

"You two have had sex at the house before!" Rebekah claimed, "I mean, Matt comes over and he doesn't have a problem with it."

"Matt's a guy." Elena told her, "And I went over there before Klaus had all those horny vampire _friends._" She giggled, "Klaus and I are going to have sex tonight."

"Oh my god…thank the lord." Rebekah said, "I seriously can't take his nonstop _bitching… _Rebekah do this, Rebekah do that, Rebekah, blah, blah, blah… all freaking day. I would drink to that all night long- that is, if that's what you guys were celebrating."

Elena thought about it, "I don't even know what we were honestly celebrating. I know the party didn't stay here all night because Kol and I went streaking in a park while Matt was passed out on the floor. Who knows…we were celebrating something and it was fun."

"Klaus is going to love the fact that his little brother saw his girlfriend naked." Rebekah said, "I guess you could always say _he was so drunk, he probably doesn't remember it _that seems like a valid excuse."

Elena shrugged, "I'll tell Klaus…I don't see the point in keeping secrets. He'll just find out anyway." Mostly because Kol has a big mouth and partly because he has eyes all over town. Elena turned around sharply as she brushed her lower back against the counter, "Owe!" She squealed, "Do I have something on my back? It hurts."

Rebekah covered her mouth with both hands, only removing them to say. "Oh my god."

"What?"

"Elena, you got a tattoo last night!" She exclaimed, running over to look at this. "You branded yourself with Klaus' name…" Elena's eyes widened as she ran to the nearest mirror. Her face went completely pale as she looked at it. "At least it's in pretty font…wait a minute." She inched closer to her side, "You let Kol give you a tattoo."

"Kol?"

"That's his calligraphy, I can tell by the way the _K_ never mind- listen, you have to get it removed." Rebekah said sternly, "I mean, if you want. I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm sure Klaus will like it."

"Yeah- no, I'm getting this removed as soon as possible. I can't believe it! I'm never drinking again." Her finger now outlined the beautiful letters on her body. His name was in solid black right above her butt, but not exactly in the position to be a tramp stamp.

"Which means, until then, you aren't having sex." Rebekah said, "He can't see this."

"No problem." Elena agreed, "I'll call someone, you call someone and let's see if we can get an opening." She sighed as she thought, _stay cool- don't let this stress you out. It's only a tattoo. _Her calmness was all a façade- she was freaking out. "This is so Hollywood."

"I agree." Rebekah nodded as she googled phone numbers. They heard a door shut and footsteps approaching. "Klaus."

"Eek." Elena squeaked as she covered her skin up and started throwing away bottles but it was no use, Klaus was already in the house looking at the destruction they'd caused. "Let's agree to blame Kol."

"I wasn't even involved in this. I'm a bystander."

"What happened here last night?" Klaus said as he kept his distance from Elena like he had been. Kol materialized behind Elena, frightening her.

"Oh nothing… just some harmless fun." He said, making Elena jump. _Poker face, Elena._ She told herself, but it didn't seem to work because Klaus always saw through her. Kol winked at Elena when Klaus turned his attention to the groggy Matt that finally decided to join the living…or undead.

"Dude… I think I got a tattoo last night." He announced, "Or something because my ass hurts."

"Your ass?" Kol said, dead serious. It was the most comical thing Elena had ever witnessed. "Why does your ass hurt?"

"It's not like my ass, ass it's like my cheek. Will one of you look at it?"

"He's your man, Bekah." Kol told her, winking once more. When Rebekah looked at the tattoo, Kol busted out laughing almost choking on his own saliva. His face turned a bright red that wasn't healthy as he struggled to compose himself. "Elena's bitch!' He repeated as he slammed his hand against the table. "And then the other cheek says, Kol's bitch." He wiped a few tears from his eyes, "Wow… That's even worse than Elena's!"

"Elena's?" Klaus grinned- showing almost all of teeth, "Tell me you didn't."

"I have no idea what he's talking about."

"I do." Rebekah threw her under the bus. Elena looked at her, "Hey, I agreed to the secrecy before my boyfriend got branded by you."

"I didn't know I did it, that's got to count for something." She tried to explain.

"She didn't do it, I did." Kol spoke up, "I mean who else has a steady hand like mine?"

Klaus moved towards Elena hesitantly, "Where is it?" He asked between his small chuckles. "You can't pretend now…the secrets out Angel." She moved backwards as he approached her. "C'mon Elena."

"I'll show you upstairs but not in front of these- that" She pointed to Kol, "little boy." _Upstairs_ had a nice ring to it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

He didn't even get to see her new tattoo before he was pressed against the wall with his shirt unbuttoned and his belt coming off. "_Elena…"_ His throaty groan escaped his lips as she put a finger against his mouth. "I'm not going to be quiet because my family's downstairs." He told her with the most serious look in his eyes. "It's just not going to happen." She rolled her eyes as she peeked her head out of the door.

"Okay, folks…party's over, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Goes for you too Matt, _just leave_." She squealed the last words as Klaus picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before throwing her into their bed. His foot kicked the door close with a loud slam. His knees were on either side of her stomach as he removed his shirt off his arms and leaned down to kiss her. Their lips hadn't collided with such passion since the night she informed him they weren't having sex anymore. "You know," She moved her hand through his hair, "I do love you."

"I love you…" He returned as he helped her take off her shirt, "Far more than you will ever know." They were torn between wanting to rip each other's clothes off and wanting to bask in their love. She would be perfectly content just looking at him. He never gave her the chance to stop and look at how beautiful he was anymore. Of course, their sex drives were at overload and if they wanted to make it out alive they would have to break the smoldering stare contest and resume what they really ached for.

Her eyelids fluttered as his lips touched her neck tenderly, the slightest pressure from his teeth grazing her skin. They were sharp to the touch, extended as his control started to melt away. Her fingers pulled at the revealed part of his boxer shorts, "You know I want you." She said much like her recent statement. She then corrected herself, "You know I _need_ you." He seemed to be at a loss for words because his breathing seemed to change when she unbuttoned his pants with those manicured nimble fingers. This was actually happening. He couldn't begin to wrap his head around the excitement he was feeling for the affair. Her hands gripped his pockets, running her hand over the bulge in his pants for a mere second before she started pulling down his pants with agonizing slowness. _One…two…three…four_ tugs and then they hit the floor at the end of their bed.

Her pretty little fingers ran up his back as she curved her body into his so he could put his hand behind her back. "Found it." He touched the whelped skin, hearing her hiss a little at his touch even though he was trying to be delicate. "I want to see it."

She wiggled from underneath him, turning her back to face the headboard so he could see an example of drunkenness. He didn't say anything but she could feel his hot gaze on her along with the sensual sound of his breathing. "That turn you on?" She asked seductively as she turned around and faced him.

"More than you'd think." His hands found themselves at her hips as he slid her underneath him once more. "Hmm now I feel like I have to return the favor."

"Don't let Kol do it." She told him, "Seriously…you'd end up being my bitch with Matt."

"I feel like I already am." He mumbled before she hit him playfully with a balled fist. He pretended it hurt even when she knew it didn't. "New Orleans looks good on you." He mused as he played with her hair, "_Very _good."

"So, were you for real? We're really going to get _his _and _her _tattoos?" She asked, "Because I already have mine."

"I don't see why not." Klaus shrugged, "I already love you and everything…why not let other people know that when you're streaking through the park at 2:03 in the morning."

"That was a very specific time…wait." She looked at him with wide eyes, "How did you find out?"

He rolled his eyes, "Believe it or not I like to know that you're okay and the people I have watching you found it rather odd that my brother and my girlfriend like to run around naked with each other."

"I can explain." She tried to say.

"No need, sweetheart. I smelt it when I walked through the door." He kissed her lips one time before he said, "I'm tired of talking." She became hypnotized by the sounds of their kisses, each one longer than the other and more charged with energy she didn't even know she had in that hour. She rapidly removed any clothing that came between them. She felt his length against her leg as she pushed herself up against him again like she had before.

At this point, she didn't care that it stung when he touched her tattoo- because he was touching it a lot. His artistic fingers traced it over and over again as they embraced each other tightly. It'd been way too long since their bodies were naked against one another. He didn't have a word for it except utter _emptiness. _He instantly realized that she wanted him to erase that emptiness and fill her as much as he possibly could when she said, "What are you waiting for?" Those once innocent eyes looking into his own with so much desire she could fill the universe. Her arms circled his neck, trying her hardest to pull him closer to her.

His response was returned with a heavy gasp, "Oh my god." Klaus didn't mean to think out loud, it sort of just slipped out. He never believed the research that claimed a woman's walls become "tighter" when there was a lack of sex but of course, she felt _tighter _around him. A moan escaped her pursed-lipped mouth as he started to push into her the way she wanted him to. She quivered underneath him as she took in the full amorous movements of his hips. Her leg moved up his calf until her heel dug into his back. The angle in which he was thrusting into her made her want to scream but she resisted the urge. Her hands balled up the sheets in which her back was moving against. She was straining to keep her eyes opened so she could look at him but he was making it really difficult.

Her heel pressed deeper into him until he started to become more forceful with each push. His hand gripped the headboard to stop it from hitting the wall repeatedly as their moans and groans filled the room. She watched his arm flex as he tried to control the way the bed moved underneath their grinding bodies, but she soon reached for his hands- pretty much saying screw the wall- entwining their fingers as she arched her back. "Klaus…" she cried desperately as he continued to increase his pace within her. She finally gave into her natural instinct to close her eyes and scream into his chest. Then he did the meanest thing- he slowed down. "No." She whined, "Baby please no."

His hand tucked her hair behind her ear as he kissed her. He moved tantalizingly slow but still exerted his shaft deep in her. Her eyes remained closed as her body simultaneously moved with his. She released her grip on his back and his hands because he wanted to pin her down underneath him. He wanted to control _her_ rather than the previous arrangement. One hand held her wrist together, he looked pleased with himself as she gently moaned his unique name. He lowered himself on her, his head almost in the nook of her neck as his hot breath warmed her skin further than the friction they caused. It was now his choice, and his choice alone, that controlled the speed of which he rode her. She didn't seem to mind.

He remained slow for a while, easing himself in and out- getting soft, steady moans and breaths against his skin but then he became overwhelmed by the urge to finally climax. He didn't hurry and shift his pace too quickly, he built up to it and watched as her face changed. Her chest pushing up and then coming down when he finally achieved his desired speed. She grabbed his hair once he released her wrist, pulling his lips down to crash against her own even though she kept breaking the kiss to scream his name.

She was getting _so close _to the perfect ecstasy, an ecstasy so powerful that it outweighed or blackout drunk nights with Kol by the billions. She was completely _his _to destroy in that moment if he so desired. She would do anything for that feeling to never leave her senses but it came and went just a soon as it started in her book. Klaus was more than surprised to find that upon her reaching that special moment, every candle in the bedroom lit up at dangerous heights. She laughed as she finished screaming his name at the light their love had created. It only made him find his own orgasmic moment, his hot breath against her as he groaned her name into her skin.

Moments passed before he found the strength to roll off of her body onto his side of the bed. His breathing still rugged like her own, he said. "So, uh, what's your name again?" She once more hit him with that playful punch as he laughed loudly. He then said more sincerely, "That was amazing, Elena…worth the wait."

"Really? I was thinking the exact opposite." She watched his eyebrows crinkle as he tried to figure out what was so bad about what just happened, "No…Klaus obviously the sex was fantastic- I was just here thinking _why did we ever stop? _We speak the language of love making, sweetheart."

"That, we do." He agreed. "It's almost dark out…you sure slept in late."

"Please don't remind me of the events of last night…I can't bare to think of the mess I made." She groaned, "I don't want to clean up the house."

"Make your tattoo artist do it." He said, "He probably made the majority of the mess anyway."

"I can't believe I have a tattoo…what's Alaric going to think?"

"He's going to think, damn my teenager's a badass." Klaus pulled her to him until they were officially spooning. He kissed her hair, "How is Alaric?" Elena wanted to choke- it completely slipped her mind that Alaric was engaged.

"Engaged, actually." She nodded, already feeling his mental cringe at the thought of the "_M" _word. "A little quick, right?"

"Definitely." Good thing she was faced way from Klaus so he couldn't see her frown. She didn't even know why she let it get to her so much. Did she honestly want to be married to Klaus at 18? Or was it the fact that she wanted the human experience and humans got married a young ages…? The only thing comforting about young marriage is it usually ends in an early divorce and she definitely didn't want to go through the legality of marriage and then divorce- not that she ever foresaw herself separating from Klaus.

She changed the subject with, "I can't believe I have a freaking tattoo."

"Don't worry…I'll get one to match yours but I'm definitely not putting it where you did." His said, "I don't think I could pull it off as well as you."

"At least these last few days will make confession a lot more fun."


	7. Chapter 7

**I've been having a really hard time with writer's block so if this sucks, sorry. I wrote it to "Yayo", "Without You", "Lucky Ones" and "National Anthem" by Lana Del Rey. **

Chapter 7:

They laid out by her pool. There was black rosary around his neck, a new tattoo across his chest and he had his Angel pressed against his body. She sported a pair of aviators and a white bikini that complemented her tan skin. The distant hum of her playlist relaxed their moment to the point they forgot about the problems that were brewing. What problems? The witches were starting to rally against the vampire presence in "their" town, werewolves were petitioning for the right to change openly rather than conceal themselves away, and Elena was becoming more and more uneasy with the fact Klaus had put an hour glass on the amount of time it would take him to marry her.

Those worries didn't exist in their small bubble of peace- or at least, that's what they wanted to believe. She could close her eyes and feel the sunrays shining down on her shoulders and his strong arms around her little body without worrying about the next disaster that targeted her heart. She loved to think about the good moments, such as tattoos and parties but that didn't mean there weren't terrible moments between the two. Some nights he would come home in a horrible mood and blame all his problems on the people he had standing behind him, but she could translate that he was beating himself up. She would try to comfort him but sometimes Klaus needed distance. Other nights, she would come home and toss papers off the counter because her magic was out of control and she didn't know how to tell him she was failing… he never witnessed her breakdowns.

It was so _hard _pretending to be perfect within the public eye. They could dress themselves up, smile, and shake hands and hold figurative babies but then when they entered the darkness of their home things went to hell. Their passion for what they did was devastating and their passion for one another was dangerous. The one thing about Klaus, though, was he always watched his temper when he talked directly to her. He made an effort to be civil and shield his anger from her. She returned the favor by composing herself before he had to ask what was wrong, or before he saw her drowning in her pain. They had bigger problems than their scattered emotions.

There was only so much sex could do for a relationship…the real work came with glasses of wine, alone time, and long conversations about the next step. Most of the time, their meetings ended with sex but every once in a while they ended with slamming doors and late night apologies. If someone were to ask Elena what she wanted, she would say her life back. Carol Lockwood took so much more from her and Elena was just discovering that. What if's were bad to consider, but what if Carol hadn't of killed her? They would be in Mystic Falls attending happy town events with the people Elena had grown up with. They wouldn't be worrying about thirty witches combining their magic to kill him, or werewolves slaughtering tourist. No, they'd be worrying about what to wear to Alaric's pending wedding and what to buy Jeremy for the start of his senior year. Her main problem was the fact she was home sick and she couldn't run into the arms of Alaric every time her heart got a little broken.

She needed her old relationship with Klaus back. In this case, _if it quacks like a duck_ theories weren't applying to her relationship because even if they looked like the old Elena and Klaus they were on two different spectrums from their old selves. She used to be _Elena Gilbert, _the girl everyone knew since kindergarten that lived in the white house on blah, blah, blah…now, she was a face in a crowd that held powers she didn't understand. Klaus, well Klaus seemed to be returning to his pre-Elena self. He'd increased his rate of kills for disobedience despite her protests against for subject, he was becoming a little impulsive outside the walls of their house, and his threats for offenders seemed to become promises.

She wanted to be in the moment with him but it was difficult to focus on his heartbeat when she felt so unbalanced.

But when things were going good, they were the happiest moments of her life. When they could hold hands and walk down the streets of the French Quarter, when they stayed in rather than faced the world, when they made love, when they kissed and electricity popped in the house, or even when the family got together for dinner… the moments themselves made every struggle worth it. They needed to settle permanently and things needed to stop feeling so temporary if they were going to survive. She had no doubts her in mind when she said he was the _one… _but sometimes being the one wasn't enough to make it through their crazy world.

"I could do this forever." He said sweetly as she looked up at him, peeking over her sunglasses, "I swear it."

"I could, too."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"_Jenna, no! Just turn it off…turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."_ Her body convulsed as flames filled her bedroom, the fire spreading throughout the house as she dreamt of the night Klaus sacrificed her- sacrificed Jenna. "No, Jenna!" She said loudly, still in a fit of unconsciousness. She saw fire, felt the burning hot flames reaching for her body as she tried to escape from the ring. It was like she was there again, watching him take Jenna's life. "Jenna." She breathed, tears running down her eyes even in her sleep.

Matt broke open the door, jumped on her bed and started shaking her. "Wake up!" He yelled as he grabbed her shoulders, "Wake up! You're setting the house on fire! Wake up!" She was like a doll in his grip, her hair moving around her face as he shook her. "Please wake up!" He felt the flames tickling his skin as the fire started to get out of control.

Her eyelids flew open, her yellow irises glowing in darkness of her bedroom as the fire ceased to exist. She grabbed Matt's arm in a painful grip as she clenched her jaw tightly. When she saw that she was hurting him, she released. "I'm sorry." She gasped for air as she tried to control her heart rate. "I'm so sorry, Matt." There wasn't any damage to their home due to the fact the fire was just magic, not exactly real flames.

"I'm calling Klaus." Matt nodded, terrified that something was going to happen to her.

"No!" Elena begged, "No… please don't." She reached for his arm as a way to convince him but he jerked away from her, not meaning to insult her. "Please." Her chest heaved with absolute fear but Matt stood his ground. He walked out of the room to retrieve his phone. She sat in the middle of her bed with her knees to her chest as she waited for Klaus to come to her.

_I'm out of control. _She thought, _and Jason's not helping… something's wrong, something's wrong with me. Oh my god, something's wrong with me. _Her neck hurt because of her previous convulsing, she rubbed it for a while but then Klaus appeared in her doorway.

"You don't look good, love." He said sadly, moving towards her bed to touch her face. "What were you dreaming about that had you so scared?"

"I don't remember." She lied, her eyes turning blank as she looked away from him. "Where were you?" She asked, "I went to bed and you were _here." _She indicated his spot of the bed.

"Marcel called, I had to take him a book from my house." She could tell he was lying too, but she didn't question him any further on his location. She didn't want to know what he was doing or who he was doing it with. She didn't expect cheating of course, but killing people in the middle of the night seemed like his style.

She didn't mean that. She really didn't. She was just spooked from her dream…about Jenna. Klaus killed Jenna. Her heart rate increased again when he touched her face. Her eyes stung because tears were filling her eyes. "Klaus…" She shook her head while the tears fell down, "I'm falling apart."

He enfolded her in his arms. He didn't say anything along the lines of, _"No you're not"_ because he recognized that it wouldn't help the situation. Instead he said, "I will get you the help you need, I promise."

"How? The only person that knows how to handle this situation is Esther!" She bawled, "I can't- I can't live like this!" Her tears soaked his shirt as she held onto him. She kept pushing the memory of Jenna's last minutes out of her head so she could find comfort in him…but the memory was haunting.

She knew Klaus was a grown man- that he made his decision on his own without any persuasion. She also knew that Klaus had felt alone for a long time…he'd been the bastard child for a thousand years and at some point, he decided to live up to his heritage. No, he didn't have to kill Jenna… that had been part of his sick mentality. But he had to kill someone to become what he is… Oh, god she wished things were different.

"I promise, Elena…I'll help you. Esther has _grimoires_ that we can read. Elena, don't give up on me." He kissed her nose. She felt a single tear hit her face from his eye, "Please don't give up on me…" His voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. He knew that she was hurting, but he was hurting too. He'd just walked away from a tragic situation that he couldn't get involved with because it would cause a war.

"What's wrong?" She wiped her eyes, grabbing his face between her hands. "Don't shut me out Niklaus." She used his full name, which was unlike her, to indicate the severity of him telling her the truth.

"The witches came to me tonight, or I should say a witch came to me tonight… she wants to stop a tradition amongst her community that involves her niece Monique. They want me to prevent it."

"But then you would be declaring war on the witches." She said, "What did you say?" She already knew what he said, he said he couldn't stop the tradition and that girl was going to meet her fate.

"The witches sacrifice four girls with the promise of them coming back to life so they can refuel their power." He explained, "Sophie doesn't believe that it's true…but, what if it is? The witches will try to kill us and they won't stop until they succeed."

Elena was a smart girl… she crinkled her forehead. "Sacrifice?" She asked before she walked over to the dresser, picking up a pretty glass ball and smashing it into the ground. "God dammit!" She said as her hand flew to her forehead. Angry tears coming out of her eyes. "I've been played, Klaus."

"By who?" He asked, angry that someone had hurt her.

"Jason!" She yelled, "They're messing with my dreams… my magic!" He wanted to comfort her but he once more, didn't know how. His nature was to rip people's heads off rather than have a "stern" confrontation with them. She blushed a deep red, "What if they've been watching us have sex?"

"They've been watching quite a show then."

"It's not funny, Klaus. What we do is personal!" Her mood lightened, looking at how charming he was. She was hurt, distraught but suddenly relieved that it hadn't been her subconscious doing. This was a fixable situation as long as they played by the rules of the witches- Jason was working for Sophie, she called Klaus away so they could set fire to Elena's house with Elena in it. They would blame the traditional witches because it looked like Klaus was helping Sophie's cause.

"What, you don't want anyone but me to know what you _do?" _He seemed quite full of himself. "Angel, don't blush. What you do is beautiful." He told her, "Amazing and I have to agree with you quite personal."

"I love you." She said sweetly as she moved back to him, "I feel better already. We have to think this out though. How powerful are Sophie's supporters? Will the witches trust us? And what if they don't? What if they are just as bad?"

"Is murder on the list?"

"I know that death is sometimes the only option, so yes but not impulsive murder…let's not call it murder, either. Let's call it assassination." She told him, "It's me, you, and our family against the world. Let's never forget that."

"Our family?" He laughed, "I think I like the way that sounds."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Their eyes shifted while they read over the menus at Café Luna. It was the first time she'd ever seen Elijah without a suit. "The dry cleaners burn down?" She quipped, he lifted his head to meet her eyes, chuckled and returned to the menu. Elena's bronze skin had a certain glow to it, Elijah assumed it was from the amount of sun she was getting. She used a soft, pink blush with little bits of glitter in it as well as a brown eye shadow and black eyeliner- those pouty lips stained with a light pink lip butter. She looked stylish with her neutral colored crop top and dark washed denim shorts.

"Your hair looks nice." He told her with a friendly smile on his face, "You've been curling it lately."

"Yeah, I wanted to change my look. I've actually been curling it for a few months now, did you just notice?" He set down the menu and leaned forward.

"No, I just thought I'd tell you that you look well." Elena cut her eyes at him, instantly aware of his motives for calling this luncheon. "What?"

She sighed, "Klaus told you about the witches." She put down her menu, aware of what she wanted. "I'm fine."

"Have you talked to Jason?" He asked, "Sometimes it's- sometimes if you let them know how you're feeling, it takes away a lot of pressure."

"By _let them know_ you mean take action against, correct?" Elena shrugged, opening her mouth a little before she replied. "I'm not mad."

"You're not?" He asked with disbelief. "Your friend used you and disrupted your magic and you're not mad?"

She took a deep breath and said, "No."

**XXX**

"What are you thinking about?" Kol asked while they filled out invitations to Rebekah's charity ball. They'd been suckered in to filling out these invites because Klaus had _"Such an artistic hand"_ and since Kol wanted to _"put his mark on things"_ he should be capable of marking a couple hundred invitations.

"Elena." He liked the way her name fell off his lips, the perfection of her name tasted pure even though she was extremely _naughty_ sometimes.

"I want the details behind that smile." He said suggestively, his pervert tone rising through his usual immaturity.

"I think I'm going to ask Elena to marry me." Kol's mouth fell open, simultaneously letting a stack of invitations hit the floor. Klaus shrugged it off, "It was just a thought. It's not like I'm going to do it."

"And why not?" Kol asked, "This is a game changer, brother!" Kol seemed completely mind blown as he sat back in the iron chair. "Just a thought, I would have put a ring on her a long time ago before she left my ass."

"It's only been a matter of months, it's too soon." He said as he tossed another invitation on the neat stack he had. "Like I said, it was just a thought."

"I don't know what you're waiting for Klaus!" Kol yelled, "I swear…damn."

**XXX**

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked while they waited on their food. It was a slow day for Café Luna. Elena played with the saltshaker. Her delicate hand was shaking bad luck onto their table as she contemplated something deep.

"I had a disturbing dream." She informed him, "The same night I started a fire in my bedroom." He could see that she was clearly disturbed by the dream.

He turned over his hand, "It was only a dream, Elena."

"But it wasn't." She tilted her head with a worn expression on her face, "It was real. I had a dream about the night Klaus sacrificed Jenna."

"Oh." Seemed to be the only response he could form.

She nodded with tight lips, "I was there telling her to turn it off. Turn it off and she wouldn't be scared anymore. Elijah-" She closed her eyes, holding back tears. "For some reason I can't shake it."

"Well…"

"Well? No famous elder advice?" She tried to joke but her emotions got in the way of her humor. "I am in love with your brother. He is my life and I know, at this point, I can't live without him. As your mother said, I am meant for him." She breathed, "But lately I've felt like I'm dishonoring her memory by being with him…"

"Your Aunt Jenna wouldn't approve of your relationship with Klaus-"

"Thanks, Elijah." Elena rolled her eyes, looking back at their waitress. "That's what I needed to hear."

"Please let me finish… Your Aunt Jenna wouldn't approve of your relationship with Klaus but she would be so proud of the woman you have become. Elena, you are strong… you are compassionate, you are _forgiving._"

She looked at him, "Thank you, Elijah…that's what I needed to hear."

Elijah nodded, "You've been through so much Elena. You shouldn't let people control the way you think. Those witches had no right to mess with your thoughts. They had no right to plant doubt in your mind."

"I know."

**XXX**

"Ten years?" Rebekah said as she looked between her brothers, "You told Elena marriage wouldn't come for ten years… are you a fucking idiot?" She put her hands on her hips, "Wait, you are a fucking idiot."

"What is wrong with _waiting?" _He questioned his siblings, "We've only been together for what? Almost six, seven months?"

"Klaus, it's not about signing a paper and her taking your last name. It's about giving her a title that isn't so degrading." Rebekah explained, sitting down beside the two. "Girlfriend? She's far more than a girlfriend…she's the love of your life, the one you're supposed to be with until it's lights out."

"Is this straight from her?" Klaus asked Rebekah, "Does she feel like I'm not being serious?"

"She didn't have to say anything, brother…it's in her eyes. It's been in her eyes since Alaric's engagement." He sighed as Rebekah informed him of the signs he'd been missing. "She doesn't want to be that girl that asks for too much…but in reality, she's settling for less than she deserves."

"I know." Klaus told them, "It's like I know I'm screwing up here but I don't want to make the wrong decision."

"Like I said before, it's not like she wants to get married next week. She just wants to know marriage is an option for you guys."

"So, what do I do?"

"You propose." Kol told him, "You get down on one knee and you say, Elena Gilbert…will you marry me even though I'm a fucking jackass? And she will cry tears of joy and she'll say of course because for some unknown reason she loves you."

"And I'm sure you will both agree to a long proposal, ten years if you want." Rebekah pointed out, "Then, she can upgrade from girlfriend to _fiancée._"

"I guess that settles that order of business." Kol concluded.

**XXX**

She swung open the door. Her heart rate speeding as she found his face behind the bar. "Elena." He said, "It's been awhile! Want a drink?" She used her vampire speed to get in his face. Her face distorted until she looked like a monster. She bit him- the taste of blood overriding her senses. He tried to do the aneurism spell on her, she recognized the words but because of her superiority in magic the spell was unsuccessful. She stopped once she realized she wanted to drain him of his blood. Even if she looked like a monster, she wasn't ready to act on it. That didn't mean she didn't punch him in the face one good time. "What's your problem, bitch?" He asked as he felt the wound on his neck and then moved to his busted lip.

"I guess I'm mad." She told him, her face straightening up. "You used me Jason and I don't like being used."

"It was for a good reas-"

"Fuck your reason!" Elena said, "From this day forward you have been blessed that I was raised like a lady but so you know, you are dead to me. Don't call, don't text, and don't you ever show your face in the French Quarter… because oh, if you think Klaus is the bad guy you're sadly mistaken. It takes a far more dangerous woman to love a dangerous man."

"You're just going to let those girls die because I hurt your feelings?" Jason laughed, blood coming from his head. "Those witches, when they get their magic refueled, will kill you and your happy little family."

"A few old witches don't scare me… want to know my secret? I have the power of the oldest witch in the world along with a few travelers so if the witches want a war after their harvest, then you can tell them to bring it because I'm tired of taking the moral way out."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

"You seriously asked Alaric for Elena's hand in marriage?" Kol snorted which gained the evil eye from his older brothers. "Oh, I suppose you find it noble Elijah." His sarcasm was not appreciated. Klaus was already on edge about this specific trip to the jewelers. He had an idea of what she liked when it came to her jewelry. They walked along the sidewalk to the small brown store. The family been using the jeweler for the better part of a two hundred years to fit all of their jewelry needs. Rebekah was their number one customer. She actually got invitations to the family's weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. Klaus tried multiple times to get Elena to visit the store but she'd rather go to church.

"I do." Elijah informed Kol, "It means Klaus has respect for Alaric and more importantly, Elena." Klaus was nervous and Kol wasn't helping the situation. He didn't want Elena to reject him. What if she said _no? _Elijah opened the door for his two younger brothers, rolling his eyes at Kol's smartass comments.

"Alaric appreciated the gesture." Klaus said, "He then threatened me, which seems obsolete but I assume it was for sentimental reasons." He paused, "I also talked to Jeremy, who demanded I buy the most expensive ring I could find for his sister or else."

"She would want a ring like her mothers." Kol told Klaus, "Rose gold." Klaus was surprised with Kol's knowledge of Elena's taste. "Round cut… halo setting… rose gold on the inside."

"Wow." Klaus said when he looked into the glass ring boxes while Kol went through his list of Elena's specifications. "Where are your expensive rings, Leopold?" Klaus asked, "This is a special occasion."

Leopold was an elderly man. He wore circular glasses at the tip of his nose and breathed heavily as he hobbled across the floor. Kol told Leopold what they were looking for, repeating this list again. Leopold waggled his finger and pulled out a Verraigo box. Klaus respected the designer name. "This one is beautiful."

"It is." Elijah nodded, "Breathtaking."

"Yeah, ring that one up Leo!" Kol commanded, "We're done. So, now can we go to GameStop?"

"Not so fast, do you have any other rings that I can compare this to?" Klaus asked, unsatisfied with the first option. Leopold brought out ten other rings that varied in shape, size, metal and price. He tried to picture each ring on her hand. "Come on, Leo- you're not holding out on me, are you?"

"Mr. Mikaelson, I have one other ring that you may like but it's below your price range!" He pulled out another Verraigo ring box, "Only five thousand dollars."

Klaus' eyes sparkled when he saw it and he immediately saw his future bride wearing it, "I want this one." It was exactly as Kol described but so much more. She would love it. He didn't even take into account what Kol and Elijah were saying about the ring.

He had a plan to propose to Elena- well, most of it came from Rebekah, who was making sure Elena had a manicure.

XXX

Elena breathed, "I did something stupid." She looked at her simple French manicure while Rebekah paid. She was wearing a pair of denim jean shorts and a plaid button-up shirt. Rebekah had pulled her out of her house that morning without proper time to get ready. Rebekah and Matt shared a few quick kisses before they left. Elena hadn't heard from Klaus all day. It was bothering her. Rebekah pulled her in and out of each store to get things like lingerie, makeup and new dresses all at Klaus' financial expense.

"What?" Rebekah giggled, "My brother? That's old news." Rebekah was extremely chipper these last few days and Elena had no idea why.

"I attacked Jason." She nearly whispered, "Beat his ass, really."

"Oh." Rebekah put Klaus' card in her wallet, "Well…" Rebekah's eyes widened a bit during her process of realizing what Elena was talking about.

"Yeah. I kept telling Elijah I wasn't mad and the more we talked…the more I discovered I was mad and the next thing you know I'm fangs deep in his neck." She flashbacked to the sensation his blood produce. "I liked it, Rebekah…and I know you're going to say that it's natural but not to me. I don't want to feel like that."

"Understandable." Rebekah lied- she didn't know one thing about swearing off blood straight from the vein. "I never see you drinking anyway? What's up with that?"

Elena shrugged, "It's not something I like doing so I drink as little as possible." Her head was contemplating going on a feeding frenzy versus being the good girl Klaus loved. "I know Klaus drinks every chance he gets like blood is water or oxygen."

Rebekah laughed, "He'd much rather be drinking your blood."

"What?" Elena was highly shocked with her comment, "My blood? Why would he want to drink my blood?"

"It's intimate." Rebekah tried to explain, "Like foreplay without all the work."

"Really? I've been bitten before and it didn't feel so well." Elena was extremely confused, "By your brother."

"That's probably because he was trying to kill you."

"He did kill me."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, leading Elena into another lingerie store. "No! No! Rebekah, we have enough! Why are you stocking up?" Elena knew this store was expensive by the name, _Journelle. _Plus, it was a lot classier than the other stores they'd been in.

"Fact: A girl can never have too much lingerie, Elena." Rebekah pointed to the back of the little store and then to Elena, "You. Go there."

"Yes master." Elena mumbled, walking to the back of the store to the more intimate apparel. "I have something like this, and this, and this… really Rebekah." She turned around, "Oh my god that's gorgeous." It was a simple, black mesh slip but she knew she had to have it instantly. "It's $845." She paled, "That's too much."

"Have you learned nothing?" Rebekah said, "Cost doesn't matter. If you want it, get it. Wear it. Rip it to pieces if you feel like it!" Rebekah took Elena's size and threw it up on the counter for the woman to ring up. She slid Klaus' card like a pro. "See? No problem." They began to walk to Rebekah's convertible.

"I need a job." Elena announced while they got into Rebekah's car.

"Really? Your boyfriend has all the money in the world, and you need a job?"

"Exactly, my boyfriend. It'd be different if we were in a higher stage than that but at this point, I'm his gold-digging girlfriend." She complained, "It makes me uncomfortable."

Rebekah let out a long breath, "I'm sure Klaus doesn't view it that way."

"If Klaus isn't ready to commit to a higher title than why should I be spending his money like crazy?" Rebekah smiled inwardly at Elena's question.

"What if he were to commit, then what? We'd shop more?"

Elena shifted in her seat, "Possibly? I don't know. I think I'd be planning the wedding of a century even if he wanted to be engaged for seventy years."

"Really? Hmm. That's an interesting fact." Rebekah nodded as Elena talked. "And who would be your assistant planner?"

"You, of course." Elena answered, "If we ever get married… I want the wedding to be simple. You know? White dress, red roses, me, him and the priest. Beautiful." She snapped out of her little day dream, "And then the reception would be the after party of the century. I'm talking thousands of people, open bar, lights!"

"You've been thinking about this."

Elena tried to play it off, "Meredith emails me a lot of ideas for her wedding… she wants me to be a bridesmaid."

"How do you feel about that?" Rebekah's question sent Elena into deep thought. Rebekah seemed to read her mind, "You're thinking about your Aunt again, aren't you?"

Elena looked at her, "I forgave Klaus… but that doesn't mean that I don't think about Alaric's wedding and wish Jenna could have gotten married. She was so young, she had her whole life ahead of her." A small glisten fell from her eye. "I don't think it was fair of Meredith to ask me but I accepted because of Alaric." Rebekah and Elena arrived to Elena's house. Rebekah and she grabbed most of the shopping bags from Rebekah's trunk, "I think I'm going to give Klaus the night of his life."

"I didn't need to know- Stefan." Rebekah stopped dead in her tracks.

"Stefan?" Elena laughed while she picked up a bag from the trunk, "Why would you ask about-" She looked up, meeting his tearful eyes.

"I called Alaric and he said you went to New Orleans…he didn't tell me why, not that I gave him the chance, and I come here today to find out you're with Klaus?" Stefan cried, "How could you do that to me?"

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

"How could I leave?" If Elena's eyes were stakes, Stefan would be gray and shriveled on the ground. "Are you really asking me how_ I_ could leave?" He frowned at her, his brooding look becoming less attractive by the millisecond. Rebekah silently stepped away into the house where she took a position by the window. Her finger touching Klaus' name lightly on her cell phone. She was more than confident that Elena could handle her own, but if Stefan stepped out of line and Rebekah didn't report it to Nik, it'd be her head.

Stefan's eyes were wide and red, "After all that's he's done to us- to you, you're with him? Tell me this is a joke."

"It's not. I'm with Klaus."

"Seriously?" He threw his hands in the air, "What could you possibly see in him?"

"That's none of your business."

Elena's super-hearing picked up the conversation between Matt and Rebekah. _"What the hell is Stefan doing here?"_

"_Matt, stop she can handle her own. Don't go outside."_

"_If he hurts her…"_

"_I know, I know. We'll kill him."_

Elena heard Matt shuffle, _"What did you buy from Fredericks, baby?"_

"You brought Matt with you?" Stefan asked, "And he's with Rebekah." Elena watched his arms flex as he tried to keep his calm. She foresaw the whole thing going downhill any second. Her temper wasn't anything to mess with these days and Stefan's reputation preceded him. "That's great." He said sarcastically.

"It is." She agreed with the statement, disregarding his sarcasm. "In fact, it's fantastic. What are you doing in our city?"

"It's that serious?" Stefan questioned her, "You've taken New Orleans together. Look at you Elena, you claim you're not Katherine but here you are running the same scams that she's been running for five hundred years." He spat, "Pathetic, it really is. Are you hooking up with his brother on the side or have you not transferred your Salvatore ploy onto them yet? Hmm? Answer me." He yelled, "Don't just look at me like I'm an idiot. You can't possibly feel for him."

"Leave." Her eyebrows raised while she clenched her jaw. "I won't tolerate your disrespect."

"How could you fall so far from grace?" He said quietly, "Elena Gilbert- the golden girl." Then his voice turned cold again, "Be a whore." She moved closer to him, slapping his face with great force. "Is that all you've got? A slap in the face? You agree with me then…you're like Katherine, probably worse."

"I love him more than I've ever loved anything else in the world." She nodded, "_I love him._ I would lay down my life for him, I would go anywhere in the world to be by his side, I would trade the best day of my life for his worst and if you can't accept that I didn't hold a burning candle towards your memory than you have no place here." She hissed, "Yes, he is a murder and he's done bad things but he is no worse than _you_."

He choked out the words, "You love him?" His face hardened after a moment of vulnerability.

She said with a taunting grin on her face, "I love him." She sung, "I love him, I love him, I love him and there is nothing you can say that will make me fall out of love with him and in love with you."

It was Stefan's breaking point. He returned her slapped with a thousand times her previous force. In fact, everyone reached a breaking point in that same second. Rebekah smashed him to the ground, her fangs extended as she pinned him down.

"I'm fine." Elena told her, rubbing her cheek. "I'm fine."

Rebekah kept him on the ground until Klaus was in the driveway. Matt stood idly by contemplating getting in the middle of a vampire fight when he was merely a human. He breathed in and out in shallow breaths. "What's going on here?"

"Stefan hit Elena." Rebekah tattled. "Hard. Kill him."

"No, Rebekah…" Elena said, "We can't kill him. Damon would be heartbroken and Damon is still a friend."

"She's right." Kol joined the party, "Can't make Damon mad. I say we bury him alive."

"Compel him?" Matt suggested from his corner, "I doubt he drinks vervain like everyone else."

"You drink vervain?" Kol looked at Elena, "That's redundant, Klaus probably can't even compel you due to your hybrid-ness thing." Elena looked into Kol's bloodshot eyes before correcting his speech. She rolled her eyes. Klaus brought his stoned brother to the confrontation? _Awesome_. Rebekah released Stefan from her grip so Klaus could handle him but Klaus did nothing. He was nervous to in front of Elena.

She respected his hesitation and his choice to follow Matt's suggestion. "Leave and never come back to this house." Stefan started to walk away after Klaus finished. The group stood around, feeling exhausted with the day's events.

"Come upstairs with me." Elena instructed Klaus when they entered the house with all their shopping bags. Klaus was too busy touching her face with soft fingertips where Stefan hit her. It was bruising but fading just as quickly. He didn't like to see her hurt. It bothered him. He wanted to go after Stefan but he'd rather do as she said. He had a feeling that Stefan didn't plan on leaving New Orleans any time soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

"Dear Klaus, I need your body, I want your body, come fuck me now." Kol pretended to read Klaus' text messages fifty feet from him while everyone sat outside the Mikaelson lair. "Oh, Klaus…" He mimicked Elena's voice, "You are the biggest I've ever been with!" Elena rolled her eyes while she looked over at her boyfriend, who seemed to be more concerned with the pretty witch than his brother's antics. "Sorry, Klaus…I think you're a major douchebag because you're ignoring your family. Seriously, it's over. Goodbye." Klaus' lips turned up in a slight smile- telling Elena he was listening to Kol's words. "I'm running away to be with your superhot brother Kol. You see, Kol and I have earthshaking, toe curling, world rocking, life changing sex all the time-"

"That's enough." Elijah told Kol, "You're becoming a nuisance and Klaus seems irritated with the presence of a certain vampire."

"He has nothing to worry about." Rebekah said, rolling her eyes. "I'm positive that's not what has him stressed."

"What has him stressed, then?" Elena asked innocently, "We've partnered with the witches, it's been quiet..._except for Stefan_."

Elena glanced over at Klaus again, watching the witch bat her eyes at him. "Don't turn green, love." Kol leaned over until his lips were almost touching her ear. No one else seemed to notice his sweet gesture or observed her expression. "My brother is all work, no play!" He yelled over at Klaus, "If he doesn't come back to sit with us soon, I suggest we find something to entertain ourselves with." He winked a Matt. "I have a big bag of-"

"Shh." Matt quieted him, "You told me about your big bag of _gummy worms._" Elena wasn't paying much attention to the two boys inside lingo. Although, she found it redundant- Rebekah wasn't an idiot. Elena was more concerned that the witch's hand was touching _her _man's arm. She was flirted with someone who was clearly taken.

Rebekah giggled, "It's alright lover, I understand my brother is a bad influence and likes to discuss his marijuana obsession over brunch."

"I think I'm going to go." Elena said, "My main purpose was to hang out with Klaus and it seems that it's not going to happen anytime soon. I feel as if my presence would better serve…anywhere but here." She was turning green as a tree by the time she kissed Rebekah on the cheek. "Not that I don't want to be with my beautiful family."

"We understand." Elijah told her, "A lesson has to be learned when it comes to who gets the attention and who does not." Elena smiled at Elijah's words, patting his shoulder before she walked out of the courtyard.

She didn't go home. Instead, to the church. She confessed her jealousy and her violent acts against Jason. Then, she prayed in solitude. Her church visit didn't last as long as she thought it would. So, she went to Yankee Candle to pick up some new candles. She was trying to waste time, trying to make Klaus miss her. Oh, she knew Klaus would never cheat on her but she knew he liked the attention…as if they weren't passionate enough. Elena wasn't the type to try too hard to "spice up" her love life- she knew there wasn't anything wrong with their sex life.

XXX

Klaus walked over to the table, stopping mid-step, "Where's Elena?" He looked at the empty chair between Rebekah and Kol.

"She left." Kol sung, "I guess she finally figured out I was the better man. She's packing her bags, we're thinking a June wedding on the nude beaches of California." Sometimes, the Mikaelson siblings thought Kol thought to far into his jokes.

"No seriously, where is she?" He asked, "She didn't say where she was going…why she was going?"

"She didn't have to say why she was going." Rebekah mumbled, "Ask the big breasted bimbo with the fake lips."

"Elena's above getting jealous."

"She's female, man…" Matt told him, "If she sees an attractive woman, which that witchy woman was not…" His eyes met Rebekah's eyes, "She automatically goes into the whole jealous girl thing. And Elena might be above jealousy if that girl wasn't all over you man…you didn't even step away. You just took it."

Klaus sat down in his reserved chair, "I screwed up."

"Join the club." Kol said, "I missed my chance with Elena a long time ago, so did Elijah, Matt- well you had your chance but it didn't work out for you…and Rebekah, I mean… Hell, you might still have a chance."

"Stop talking like Klaus is doomed. She's a little jealous, so what? It'll just mean earthshaking, toe curling, world rocking, life changing sex. Elena doesn't hold a grudge." Rebekah pointed out, "And Kol…you never had a chance with Elena."

"I beg to differ." Kol mumbled, "I'm a real catch, all the girls tell me I am."

"After they leave you dancing by yourself." Matt chuckled, "A real catch? Who uses that line anymore?"

Elijah leaned back in his chair as Kol said, "Well, Elijah definitely had a chance. He was just too noble to take it."

"I did not."

"You were the first original invited into the house." Matt said, "And the first original to see the inside of her bedroom." Kol winked at Rebekah, who nudged Elijah. They were trying to teach Klaus a lesson about jealousy.

"What?" Klaus said, "You were in her bedroom?"

"It was a long time ago." Elijah said, "I've been in her bedroom multiple times it's not that big of a deal."

"Multiple times." Kol repeated, "And didn't you leave her a sappy love note one time signed, _Always and Forever, Elijah_."

Klaus caught onto his siblings games quickly, "I see what you're doing. You're trying to make me feel the way Elena felt earlier. Consider the lesson learned."

"Good."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

**Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore**

**Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore**

**Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore**

**Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore**

**Incoming Call: Stefan Salvatore**

"Are you going to answer that?" Kol asked Elena while she joined the family for the second time that afternoon. She smiled at Klaus who held her hand above the table so everyone could see there display of affection. It took them all but ten minutes to make up from their silent fight- even though Klaus had promised he'd show her "extra special" attention when the sun went down.

"Nope. I'm just going to let it buzz across the table." Her phone was faced down because she didn't want Klaus to see the name that continuously popped up on her phone. "It's no one important."

**Incoming Call: Blocked Number**

"I can't even concentrate with that excessive buzzing!" Rebekah complained while she looked over a few _"private"_ party sketches- private, as in, everyone but Elena could see them. Elena had no idea what she was planning so intently but she wanted to _know. _"Just answer the damn phone."

"Watch your tone." Klaus told Rebekah when she crossed the line. Elena rolled her eyes at his protectiveness.

"It's _Stefan._" Elena admitted, "You'd think he would understand that I don't want to talk to him but he continues to call as if I am that forgiving."

"You are _that _forgiving." Kol said, "If you weren't- we sure as hell wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place." Elena turned a deep red at his reference to Klaus and Elena's past. "Question, though, when are you going to party with me again?"

**Incoming Call: Blocked Number**

"I don't want to get arrested." Elena told him, "Plus, drinking every night in New Orleans is too mainstream."

"Bullshit." Kol stated, "I think Father Kieran convinced you to stop drinking because you haven't been drinking. I've been paying attention." She snorted at the thought of Kol paying attention. "Why?"

"Maybe I don't want to get _wasted _and burn down my beautiful home." She shrugged, "My magic is out of control last time I checked." She recalled the flickering of lights at her anger, the sound of thunder crashing in the sky when she was upset. "I can't seem to get a hold on it."

Elijah started in with the facts, "It's typically emotional. You need to create a stress free environment." He started telling Elena all the ways to shed the weight of her stress. But, she stopped him with the movement of her hand in the air.

"I don't want to talk about how I'm overly emotional." Elena said, "It's embarrassing that I can't control the one thing that girls younger than me can…Change the subject."

"If we avoid the subject forever, you will burn a house down."

"Or worse." Rebekah assisted her brother, "You could kill someone like you almost killed Jason."

"Rebekah!" Elena said, "That was our secret."

**Incoming Call: Blocked Number**

**Text Message: Could you answer the phone…I need to talk to you.**

"You almost killed Jason?" Kol laughed, "Awesome."

"Not awesome." Elijah corrected him, "A potential problem."

"Okay, to clear this up- I didn't even use magic." She rolled her eyes, "So Jason has nothing to do with the current subject. So, can we move on?"

"No." Klaus interjected, "Elena, you didn't tell me…like you wouldn't have told me that Stefan is calling you constantly if I hadn't been sitting by you." His voice became low so his family could not eavesdrop. "That's not like you."

Elena was getting overwhelmed quickly. She didn't like to be ganged up on. "I really don't want to have this conversation. Please. Not now."

"Then when?" Klaus asked, "Do you have to check your hectic schedule for another time?"

"Please don't act like I'm the one with the hectic schedule." She could tell that one wrong move- wrong word- would trigger a fight between her and Klaus and not one of their silent fights, or their quick fights either. It was not the right time for them to be fighting with all the stress they were going through. Klaus was worried about proposing, trying to talk himself out of it and then back in it again because he was scared of rejection. He was annoyed with Stefan's presence as well. Elena was aggravated that Klaus didn't seem like he wanted to commit, she was still a little jealous about his new "business' partner and she wasn't adapting well to having witchy powers.

It was fun to pretend the magic didn't exist but the flicker of electricity, the sudden lighting of a candle, the _pop _of something blowing up drove her absolutely crazy. They wanted to give her advice on something they could barely understand and it was only pissing her off. She wasn't like other witches because she was a vampire- vampires are emotional and she was also a werewolf and that gave her the anger management problem (that she was actually managing for the most part). The only person that could come close to understanding how she felt was Klaus.

But he would never fully understand.

"Everyone needs to take a breath." Elijah told them, "I can see you are both on edge but it's not with one another."

"You won't talk to me, Elena." He pleaded with her, "I need you to talk to me instead of acting like you're doing this alone." He squeezed her hand, "I love you."

**Incoming Call: Stefan Salvatore**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

_Dear Klaus,_

_ I'd be lying if I said I didn't imagine things differently when we decided to move from my hometown to the town you built with your family. I imagined a fairy tale life that I now realize, could never happen as long as we are who we are. That was my mistake and a foolish one at that. I've been having the hardest time accepting what I am and that's mostly because I was prepared to die. I was ready for it and in a way, I welcomed it. The fact that we won't talk about my death, we won't talk about the days you spent in your depression and we won't go into detail about my transformation started this snowball effect on our relationship. It's not a crime to cry when you're in love. It's not illegal to be angry, we aren't restricted from impulsive decisions. We have the right to make mistakes and we've made quite a few lately. _

_The "other-side" as we've coined it is a dark place. Pure nothingness, just the lonely white noise sound of every dead supernatural creature roaming around under the cloak of invisibility. But not me. The darkness was only momentarily there until your mother visited me with her proposal…not that she ever gave me much of a choice on the option. She told me, not in these exact words, that we are soul mates. I am designed for you. Usually, at this point in the conversation you jump me and then we spend hours upon hours making a mess of the house. But, that's the perk of a letter… I can finish what I have to say. When I woke up, I was already convinced of forever with you. There is nothing else that I'd rather do… that's why, when you said 10 years, I was a little thrown. You said, ten years at least…and I've been trying to act like a rational person about that statement for a few months now but I haven't begun to get over how _irritated _I was with that. I'm still working off of human software, I haven't lived for a thousand years, I haven't given up on love a thousand times or anything like that so… ten years seems like eternity to stay in a minuscule stage of an "eternal" relationship. _

_Another thing, I don't want to be a hybrid. I didn't even want to be a vampire. I had a plan three years ago even if it was a small plan and it didn't involve witches, vampires, werewolves, hybrids or anything like that. It involved college, white picket fences, babies, family game nights, growing older, complaining about mom jeans with Caroline and Bonnie… and in the last two years, I've watched every single one of those plans fade away. I love you… I love you so much that the word love doesn't even feel adequate anymore… but I need to move past my old life before I can get pumped up about starting fires with my mind. I need you to understand that. _

_But, at the same time I am grateful for your mother's "gift" because if she hadn't of brought me back I wouldn't have had the experience of a lifetime with you. Instead of white picket fences, I have a beautiful home. I can go to college anytime in the next millennium. Family game nights with Kol, Rebekah, Elijah, Matt and Rebekah are the best kind of nights and growing with you is everything I need. But I can't procreate. I can't have a child like Bonnie. I can't be the mother my mother was and I'm not over that. _

_I'm not really getting the point across that despite not being able to have what I originally wanted, I am happy that I am with you. I will always, one hundred percent, be in love with you no matter where our lives take us. _

_I didn't tell you about the dream Jason's manipulation casted because I didn't want you to feel bad but I suppose it's important in the whole scheme of things. My dream was about Jenna. You know, I miss her so much. She was there for me when I was going through a terrible time. She'll always be my favorite relative (next to Jeremy, of course.) and I will always miss her. That doesn't mean, a never will mean, that I am still angry with you. I've had my time to hate you and I've completely moved on. As I said before, we all have blood on our hands. That doesn't mean that the dream didn't send me reeling for a few days. _

_I was sad, I was confused and I was hurt that a "friend" would bring something like that up just to influence you. I kept telling myself that I wasn't angry…but it the end I was and I just snapped. I can't fix that now. Plus, I didn't kill him which has to count for something in someone's book. I didn't kill, but I wanted to. I guess that says more about me than the fact that I didn't. _

_And now, Stefan is in town and he's angry that I have moved on. We can sit around the table and pretend that he's harmless, but let's face it. Hath no fury than a Stefan scorned… alright, that joke was lacking a lot of humor. Stefan almost killed me once because you had hybrids in town and he was trying to make you suffer…and that's when he loved me. Now that we're in love and he feels like I've betrayed him, he's really going to try to kill us. And I mean us. He's not going to keep me alive because he knows that I won't ever come back to him. He'll do whatever he can to make it work. He'll try to find powerful witches. He'll probably find one… maybe even a ruthless one that practices dark magic. And then he'll try to find someone that will kill us. _

_That terrifies me… _

_We keep saying we're invincible but how many times have you been met with a life or death situation? Elijah almost ripped out your heart and killed you, Mikael almost killed you, Stefan stopped your heart before, Esther almost killed you…and I know these are a lot of ALMOSTS but then again, they were so close. I don't want to lose you. _

_Elena _


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

On paper, they didn't make sense. They were damned. Screwed, even. He was the bad boy, she was the good girl. The light to his darkness, the darkness to her light. But the universe decided they were soul-mates and who were they to argue with the universe? He let the paper in his hands fall to floor as he gripped her body with unbearable need. He wanted to tell her how he felt the way he told her how she felt but it wasn't possible when he was so… well, turned on. They found themselves backing up until his back was pressed against his comforter and she was straddling him in her pretty black dress. His head sunk down when he looked up at the ceiling, getting lost in the feeling of euphoria.

She understood the way they operated. They were two passionate people that couldn't resist the temptation of each other's skin. Her lips trailed his neckline as her little fingers picked at the buttons on his shirt. She ripped it off of his body while he reached for her feet to take the pointy stiletto off. "Angel, can you please unstrap that ridiculous heel of yours?" His voice was a rugged moan while she unzipped her dress before reaching down to her feet to take off her shoes. He enjoyed the view of her black bra and slim figure, poking out her chest near his face. He leaned up, putting his hands on her side, his lips pressing against her stomach.

The craving for her was overwhelming. "Mmm…Klaus, honey? Give me three seconds to take off my shoes. I can't concentrate when you're doing- oh my…" He kept venturing up her body with his radiant lips. Her hips started to rock as he moved her back and forth over his growing pants. She finally got her shoes off, throwing them against the wall with a crashing bang. She put her hands behind her back, unclasping her bra so he could place is mouth on her breast. She let out a soft moan as she arched her back to the feeling of his saliva on her sensitive skin. "I want to try something new…"

"Hmm, and what would that be?"

"I want you to bite me." She purred, "Or I'm going to bite you."

"That's a difficult choice, love… They both sound fun. She didn't give him another chance to decide, she sunk her teeth into him. The way he groaned made her want to skip the whole "foreplay" thing. Her hand crept to his mouth, where he nipped her with his own teeth. His hand pushed her head to his neck as his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. "God."

She loosened her grip, moving her mouth away from his skin. "God has nothing to do with it, sweetheart." He pulled her mouth to his, licking away the blood from her lips while he pulled her down on him. Their bare chest shoved together as their tongues explored one another's mouths. Her hand pulled at his pants until they were loosened enough to pull off and toss on the floor. Her next goal was to remove his underwear, which she did it a hurry.

She slid down his body, placing her mouth on the tip of his hard cock.

"You're amazing." He told her, "Absolutely amazing…" He helped her remove her underwear by ripping it off- literally, ripping it. She was only slightly upset about the ordeal.

It wasn't long until their bodies were joined in a hot, steamy embrace. His head was spinning as she moaned his name while riding him. Her head facing the ceiling while her back delicately arched. He tried to keep a firm grip on her rolling hips but he became unable to control her and himself simultaneously. Her senses were heightened beyond compare while she felt him inside her. His hand lifted from her hips to the curve of her natural waist, finally cupping her breasts. She leaned down on him when their motions started to make her tingle. "K-Klaus!" She screamed when he flipped her over and started to push deeper and deeper into her. Her fingers ran through his hair, pulling at it as he smiled in satisfaction. He was getting to her. The look in her eyes, so sweet- so loving but mixed with so much lust drove him absolutely mad and the smell of their sweat mingling while their bodies created a beautiful fire. His lips kissed her neck, his tongue tracing her skin while he tasted the perfume on her neck. Her hand crept to his back, her manicured finger tails scrapping down his skin, triggering a pleasurable hiss.

"I love you." She whispered between their love noises. Her hand released his hair and brushed down his face. She was astonished by the way he looked when they were trapped in their embrace. "I love you so much."

XXX

She laid with her bare leg wrapped around his body, her knee touching his abs while her body glistened with sweat. His sheet was tangled around her leg, covering her rear slightly. He could still see her tattoo. He couldn't help but grin at the idea that she would be marked forever with his name. Then again, when he thought about forever, he thought about the ring box hidden in the third floorboard from the left of the door. "What are you thinking about, goose?" She sighed peacefully while her fingers played with the medallion around his neck.

"You."

"Hmm… what about me?"

"How lucky I am that I have you." He shrugged, "How lucky I am that I have a persistent sister that enjoys small town events that involve surveys."

"I was hoping I would get matched with Alaric." Elena joked, "But I guess you're fine."

"Ha-Ha." Klaus rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I feel like we're wasting time staying in New Orleans…"

"Why? It's a beautiful city."

"We should be travelling the world." Klaus told her, "If I was half the gentleman I aim to be, I would take more time with you and take you beautiful places like Paris, India, maybe even Brazil."

Elena rolled her eyes, "We have eternity…why rush?"

"I want you to have everything the world has to offer… I don't want you to live the same boring day after same boring day."

"Kol makes my day interesting."

He rolled his eyes and snorted at the sound of his brother's name, "Kol gets you drunk, Kol gets you high and then you end up with a tattoo and a hangover. Kol doesn't give you Paris."

"I want a permanent home." Elena laughed, "I want to have a pretty house and I want to be with you. New Orleans is home. I'm happy here. Stop worrying about what you think I want."

"I know what you want." Klaus said softly, "And I'm prepared to give it to you."

"And what is that?"

"A higher title, a stronger commitment. Like I said, I'm prepared to give it to you but you have to understand how much you scare me."

"I scare you?"

"Terrify me." He breathed, "You could simply walk away one day and I would never be able to get you back…and the fact that I associate you leaving me with my destruction, my downfall, my death…scares me because I've never been so vulnerable before."

"What are you saying?"

"I guess I'm asking you to marry me although I had this whole thing planned out differently." Klaus told her, "Rebekah had plans."

"You're asking me to marry you?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes." She smiled brightly, shooting up from her comfortable spot. She clapped her hands, but Klaus placed a finger over his mouth to tell her to keep it down. "Oh, yeah…we still have to go through with Rebekah's plans."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

**Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore**

**New Voicemail!**

She pressed the phone against her lips before hitting the blue play button in her voicemail inbox. She heard a popping noise and then the familiar sound of his voice, _"Elena."_ He breathed before continuing, _"I did something foolish and you're never going to forgive me. I wasn't thinking about you and him, or maybe I was- I don't know. I just…You need to get out of town. No, you need to get out of the state, out of the country and possibly out of the continent."_ He didn't sound so torn apart like he was trying to put himself out to be. _"You have to leave him behind or you're dead. Hopefully, you make the right choice."_

"What the hell does that mean?" She said, tapping his name immediately. The phone rang three times before he answered it.

"Elena."

"What did you do, Stefan?" She asked in a calm voice. "Tell me what you did right now!"

"I'll be there in a minute." He sighed. She looked around the long hallway in Klaus' house. She wasn't used to walking his house in the dead of the night but the excessive buzzing from her phone kept her awake.

"What? I'm not at my house, Stefan." She put a hand to her forehead as she yawned a little. She didn't want to see him, she wanted to know what he did.

"I know."

"Are you tracking me?" She asked, only being answered by dead silence. She followed the ancient artifacts and old timey candles that lined the house. It really needed an electrical update. She met a staircase in which she knew after a few minutes of wandering. She followed the dim lights to the front of the house. She took in a deep breath, opening the door with a hard yank.

He was there, waiting for her. She realized she was completely underdressed for the occasion. She wore a silk nighty and her hair was pulled back with a thick, cloth black headband. "I can't believe you sleep next to him." He mumbled, avoiding the question that lingered on her lips.

"What did you do?"

"It's for the best Elena." Stefan said, "You can't be with him. It's unnatural."

"What did you do?" She repeated the question, her fist tightening while she looked at him. He didn't look sympathetic for his actions, even if she didn't know what they were yet.

"It's for the best Elena. I only want the best for you. You deserve the best." Stefan said, "And Klaus is a monster. He's a monster, Elena!" Stefan raised his voice, causing a light to turn on somewhere in the house. She ignored it. It was probably one of the "followers."

One of her fist landed on his chest as she started to scream, "What did you do?"

"I brought him back."

"Who?" She paled because she already knew who he was talking about. The look on his face confirmed her suspicion. "No…" She said softly, small tears gathering in her eyes. "No, Stefan, no." She cried, begging him to tell her he was bluffing, that he was only trying to scare her. "Please…no."

"It's for the best."

Elena snapped. "Why?" She screamed, "No! No! No!"

She heard footsteps behind her. It was Rebekah. "What's going on here?" She asked, looking at Elena and then to Stefan. Tears were streaming down Elena's distorted features as she held her arm in front of her face so he wouldn't reach out to touch it.

"Why?"

"I've told you why, Elena. You wouldn't listen and I can't let you make this mistake."

"What's wrong?" A sleepy Kol emerged from the door, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"He brought Mikael back." Elena said, disgusted with Stefan's presence. She pushed back the tears and tried to focus on anger. "Because he was jealous. You realize if he kills Klaus, you're dead."

"It's a price I'm willing to pay, Elena." Stefan said before he walked away. Elena turned to Kol and Rebekah. Rebekah's face displayed enough emotion for all of them. Her tears were falling like broken pieces of glass, tiny and full of pain.

"We have to run." Rebekah told Kol, "Now."

"Now?" Elena said, "No…"

"We don't have a choice, Elena. Mikael will kill us." Rebekah told her, grabbing her arm- pulling her into the house where she locked the doors. Kol was directly on their heels. "Klaus!" Rebekah screamed urgently, "Klaus!" Klaus must have recognized the fear in Rebekah's voice because he was at the stairs in a millisecond.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at the tearful group. "Elena?"

Elena shook her head, "Stefan brought Mikael back, Klaus." She told him, "He's back." She'd seen him angry before but fear and anger was a new emotion on his face. He barely talked about Mikael and when he did it was always short and described the cruel ways of his "father."

Rebekah woke up Elijah with the same tone of her voice. They informed him of the situation the best they could through the raw emotions going through their heads. "Run." Elijah told everyone. "We aren't prepared for Mikael at this point and he has fresh anger. You killed him, Niklaus. He'll be after you for sure."

"We're just going to run?" Kol asked, "That's bullshit. We've been running for a thousand years and now we have to go back to fearing him. He doesn't even have a weapon to use against us."

"He's got the witches on his side." Elijah said, "That's enough to cause problems until he finds a weapon."

"Run." Rebekah nodded, "I'm tired of running. I'd rather die than spend another thousand years running around the world, looking over my shoulder."

Elena grabbed Klaus' hand in a hard grip, looking at him. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. She sighed while they all met eyes. "I'm not going to tell you where I'm going, it's best you don't know." Elijah told them, "Rebekah, are you coming?"

"I can't leave Matt." Rebekah said, "Three's a crowd, remember?"

"He's human, Rebekah." Kol reminded her, "I love the guy too but he can walk away from this, he can go back to his sleepy town and he'll be safe. No offense, Elena."

Elena looked at Rebekah while she tried to decide if she was a selfish or selfless person. "I love him." She tried to reason with her brothers. "I'm sorry but I can't. I won't ruin his life because Matt's the type that waits years for you to return and prays that you do. He won't move on."

"She's right." Elena told them, "They should stay together."

"I guess it's me and you, Elijah." Kol patted his older brother on the back, "This is going to be fun." Leave it to Kol to try to lighten the mood.

"Is this goodbye?" Elena asked, "I mean, for now?"

"Yes." Elijah nodded, looking at his brother with something in his eyes. It was an unspoken gesture that Elena wouldn't understand until later on in the night.

Things happened so quickly after their small conversation. It only took a few hours for everyone to pack their things, load them into cars and hug goodbye. They didn't talk about the _what if_'s or even discuss a time or place to meet up. Elena figured they had their own ways of reaching out to each other when it came to distance.

In the process, Klaus and Elena drifted to her house. She took in the sudden emptiness of the place. "Elena." Klaus started, "I love you more than anything else in this world. I would die for you, easily- no questions asked- hands down."

"I know."

"I won't let you die for me." He told her, "That's why you can't go with me."

"What?" She looked at him, "No. I can handle myself, Klaus…no!"

"I'm not going to argue with you…you can't go with me. I won't allow it. Rebekah might be too selfish to let Matt go but I know what I have to do and I am letting you go. Go back home, Elena. Be with your friends. Be with your family."

"You aren't being fair-"

"Don't call. Don't text. Don't email." He cupped her face between his hands, "Because this is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made and I don't want to be persuaded to change my mind." She saw tears in his eyes, "These will always be the best moments of my life but until Mikael is gone forever…until I am satisfied he's gone…you won't see me." The way he said it was as if he would be there, but he would be invisible. "Until then, we're over."

"Don't do this, Klaus."

"I don't want to." He kissed her lips quickly and then her forehead, "But I have to."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

**Three Years Later**

Her car came to a screeching halt at the school stop sign. She looked at the little kids running to push at each other while they crossed the white painted lines. She smiled. It was so hard not to smile at innocent children. They had what she didn't though which filled her with small amounts of envy in the pit of her stomach. Once the children passed, she continued to drive through her former city. It looked the same but felt completely different. It felt empty.

"Elena?" Jeremy snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, "Where did you go?"

She shook her head, "Nowhere." He nodded, knowing exactly where her mind went and dropped the entire subject. "I can't believe Matt and Rebekah are getting married." She said. Okay, she wasn't going to lie. She didn't want to come to the wedding especially a Mikaelson wedding. She wanted to see Klaus, she wanted to touch him- but she didn't want to watch another wedding especially in the same room as her. "And Matt's going to be a vampire by tomorrow morning."

"Elena…"

"Jer, really, I appreciate what you're thinking of saying but I don't want to hear it. This isn't about me, it's about Matt."

"You haven't seen Kla-"

"Stop." She said with a frown on her face, "Just, stop." She reached over to squeeze his hand, "You have been my rock, Jer. You really have been but it's time to stop coaching me through my heartbreak. But things are going to work out."

"I'm afraid you aren't moving on, Elena."

"You don't move on from your soul mate." Elena said, "Things will work out!"

XXX

Elena looked at herself in the hotel room mirror, a thin smile on her face as she smoothed out the black dress. She breathed, "Dance. Have fun. Don't forget to smile." The only thing that held her down was the fact he would be there. She didn't want to hear his name, she didn't want to hear his voice but she was dying to see him. She wanted their eyes to meet and she wanted him to realize he needed her. He needed her- he had to because she _needed _him. She didn't want to go through the old memories, she wanted to create new ones.

Her emotions were completely confused but she knew she was excited- maybe for the first time in a long time. For once, there was pure hope for the evening. Of course, he promised he would stay away- still, how many times do they promise that in romance novels and realize they were complete idiots? Exactly.

Jeremy knocked on the door, "Ready?"

"Yes." She smirked at herself, "I think tonight has potential."

He sighed, "I don't want you to get your hopes-"

"Again." She put a hand up, "No."

"Elena…"

"Please don't Elena me…" She felt the sting of tears in her eyes, "Because if this doesn't go down the way I'm thinking it will, I don't know what I'm going to do. I- I can't even breathe half the time and I think I might just go crazy- so please, please Jer, please don't say it."

They arrived on time- precisely at nine o'clock like the lavender scented invitation said. She didn't hold onto Jeremy's arm- she sort of flowed like a loner through the large entry way into the ball room of a beautiful structure she'd never been in. She was stunning- a show stopper, her black dress showing skin but keeping it classy at the same time. Her hair was curled and she wore her mother's diamond necklace. "Elena!" Matt called over, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm getting married."

"Have you been drinking with Kol?" She leaned forward to smell his breath, "Yeah. Where is he?" She was suddenly nervous with the whole event. She needed to find Kol. Kol would make her emotionally numb to her surroundings with a few sips of his "special" mix long enough to think.

"Talking to that group of blonde socialites." He laughed, "Where's my future wife? She's been missing! I will go find her!"

Elena followed the blonde hair to Kol, who smiled widely. "You came."

"I came." Elena said, "Surprised?"

"Greatly." Kol said, "Bekah said you RSVP'd but I could have sworn you would back out given the whole Klaus situation and all."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't know?" Kol's eyes widened, "That's right- because Elijah said don't tell anyone, especially you…Oh…shit. I'm in so much trouble right now." He took a sip out of the flask tucked into his suit.

"You have to tell me now or I'll jump to conclusions and tell Elijah you have a big mouth."

"Elena…"

"No." Elena flashed a smile, "Don't you start that too, I don't need comforting. I'm a big girl, just tell me what's wrong." She watched Kol's face change into a more serious one that she rarely saw. She started to think of awful things that could have happened. Was he dead? No, he's not dead because Caroline's still alive and Tyler's still alive even if they're living in New York. No… Does Mikael have him or something?

"Klaus is engaged, Elena. He's engaged."

She blinked quickly, fighting back her pending tears. "What?" She nearly croaked, her head tilting to the side has she breathed out a heavy sigh. She blinked once more. "Engaged?"

"Elena, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"No." She shook her head, "I don't need your sympathy. I am a rational person. Of course I knew this was a possibility- of course, I didn't think Klaus would get engaged- I mean, he didn't even ask me to marry him until months after we were dating and it was a for sure thing we were soul mates so why would he get engaged to someone who wasn't his soul mate? You know?" She was close to having a mental breakdown. She felt it coming on. "Is it hot in here? I'm just so hot." She started fanning herself as a nearby candle wick ignited itself. "Is that-? Can I get a sip of- yeah." She took his flask, swallowing hard. She sighed once more, still fanning herself. "Engaged? Wow."

"Surprisingly, you are taking this a whole lot better than I thought you would."

"Am I, now?" She laughed, "That's just fucking perfect, isn't it? Engaged!"

"Alright…maybe not. Elena, just take a deep breath."

"I'm burning up." She said, watching a few more candles light around her. "I have to get some air." She vanished with her vampire speed into the crowd and out of the door. She found herself in front of the church without much thought. She opened the door, lighting candles left and right as she walked down the aisle. "Kieran!" She called, spinning around in a circle as she looked up at the ceiling. "Kieran!" She cried, reaching her emotional breaking point.

"Elena?" He walked through a door in front of the church, "Is that you?"

"Yes." She answered, "I-I don't know why I ended up here but I just found out Klaus is engaged and I came here thinking he would see me, and he would just know…he would know he was making a mistake and now, he's engaged….He's engaged and I haven't bothered to move on at all because I'm still carrying a flame for him." She laughed a little, "Get it because my mind is so set on starting fires tonight."

"I can't imagine how you must feel right now, Elena but you clearly need to gain some composure."

"Fuck!" She yelled loudly, "Three years, Kieran. I have been pining over him for three years- waiting around like a fucking idiot and he's moving on with some girl. Oh, I guess it's okay to leave me because it's 'safer' but it's not a problem for her? She's not fucking immortal. I can't die. Stick a stake in my heart and it's not game over! Burn me alive, I come back. You know why? Because the universe hates me! It hates me! It hates me! It hates me!" Tears and makeup ran down her face, "I hate him, Kieran. I hate him so much right now."

"Elena…"

"No." She stomped her foot like a little girl, "Do not say that! Do not say _Elena _like I am fragile. I am not fragile. I can start fires with my mind. I could probably start earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and all kinds of natural disasters. I can create an entire race because I'm as powerful as the original witch. I can turn into a wolf, I can live through breaking every bone in my body and I could deal with the fact that I am dead. So please, spare the Elena shit because I don't need it."

"What do you want?"

"I want him!" She said, "I want him!"

"What do you want me or God to do about that?" She realized she was standing the middle of a church. She breathed out, composing herself.

"I don't know." She said quietly, "Help me?"

"How?"

"Tell me what to do."

"Father Kieran would say read these verses but I feel like you're in search for something else… So, Kieran, the man that loves you dearly as a friend is telling you to focus all this anger so you're not starting fires or creating natural disasters with your mind. Distract yourself with this magic you have and then focus on your personal life. For now, focus on something else rather than your heartache...Give yourself time to heal."

"I just feel like I want to choke him in his sleep!" Elena said, "I just want to wrap my hands around his neck and never let go."

"Werewolf gene brings anger." Kieran reminded her, "Try to avoid anger although I recommend choking him as your friend if that will make you feel better."

"It won't."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Somehow, she pushed herself to put on her makeup- she even drew those sexy reverse cat eyes on her eyelids. And somehow, she managed to slip into the tiny black dress with the big black bow outlining the sweetheart neckline…but she could not force a seemingly genuine smile while she entered the expensive dining establishment. It was Matt's rehearsal dinner and he was a lot more sober than he was the night before. He shook hands with Rebekah's "friends" but found himself gravitating towards Elena and Jeremy repeatedly. They were the only ones that could make it. Caroline sent her love from New York along with Tyler. She claimed it wasn't a good time- although, they were probably concerned with their safety with Mikael roaming around. Bonnie was taking a trip with her mother and because the wedding was announced twenty days ago, she couldn't drop everything and come running.

"Hey…" He said, swaying on his feet nervously. "Can I talk to you, Elena?"

"Yeah, of course. You can talk to me about anything." She could tell by his expression that he wanted to talk about vampirism. She didn't want to talk about vampirism. Vampirism reminded her that she was no longer a vampire, which reminded her why she was no longer a vampire, which reminded her of Klaus and then about his engagement.

"Does it hurt?"

"Dying? Matt, you've died before…you know the answer to that." She said, taking a sip from the champagne. There were so many people at the event they had to sit at separate tables as if they were already at the reception.

He sighed, "No…the transformation."

"If you don't feed right away, it gets painful and you get weak but you are planning on feeding right away…so, I don't know." She sighed, "This is the start of a new life for you Matt. It's different for you. Your transformation won't be tragic and there won't be sad tears involved."

"Thanks, Elena…" Matt rolled his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something but he stopped. "He wasn't supposed to come until the wedding." He mumbled while he looked into the distance. Elena turned her head around slowly, meeting his eyes directly. She didn't want to rip away from his blue orbs but the sight of his pretty blonde fiancée clinging to his arm forced her to.

"It's fine. It's his sister." Elena replied, "I thought he was at the event last night…at least, that's what I assumed."

"No, no." Matt said, "He never showed. By the way, where the hell did you go last night?"

"To church." She said, "I met with Kieran and I confessed all my sins."

"Forgive me father for I have sinned, last week I sat in my bedroom and cried to Supernatural episodes while eating a box of pizza." Jeremy said, "Or did you confess the week before when it was a box of Dunkin' Donuts?"

"No, the week before when I downed the pizza and the donut holes while listening to Celine Dion." Elena tried to joke around with Jeremy and Matt but they looked at her with pity. "It's fine! I'm fine! I got it all of my chest and I found something to focus on."

"Focus on?"

"It's nothing big, I just don't need to harp on _it." _She shrugged, "I'll be perfectly fine."

"Cheers to you, Elena…I don't know how you do it. I don't know how either of you do it." Matt started to say but he stopped focusing on the bad parts.

Elena touched his hand, "I love you Matt." She told him, "And eternity will suit you well but you really have to mingle."

"If you mingle, I'll mingle."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"I'm going to sit by Kol and mingle with him." Elena said, picking up her drink and moving towards Kol- except, she wasn't the only one who got the idea to visit the youngest brother. She turned on her heels as soon as she saw him moving towards Kol.

"Elena!" Kol motioned to her, clearly plastered. Elena faced Kol, eyebrow raised. He wanted to start something and she was willing to play along. "Looking sexy as always sex panther."

"Sex kitten," She corrected him, "we agreed to sex kitten last time we talked."

Klaus lingered awkwardly as Elena slid next to Kol. She only looked at him for a second but she knew how he looked. She memorized how he looked those few seconds they met eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him for the rest of the night. She didn't want to be childish. She didn't want to say childish things but she was angry- no, she was hurt. All her anger vanished the second she saw him and she couldn't do a thing about it. "I didn't realize you two kept in touch." His voice made her want to shiver but she fought her hardest to suppress it.

"Kol knows how to work modern technology." Elena pointed out- not willing to meet his eyes. "Unlike some people."

"Elephant in the room alert." Kol sang, rocking back in forth in his chair. "Do we have to go on Jerry Springer or something? That would be so fun. Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!"

"It's fine." Elena said, "I can behave, can't you?" This time she looked at him- really looked at him. He was still handsome- even if she wished an industrial accident ruined his face. The small smile on his face was fake and she desperately wanted to know the reasoning behind the façade.

He nodded, "Of course I can."

"How have you been?" Kol asked, "What have you been watching on Netflix?"

"I've been watching Supernatural, Hart of Dixie, One Tree Hill…you name it." Elena sighed, "Of course, I've been drinking way too much- got your package though, and yes I already went through the whole thing with Jeremy- he claimed it was the good stuff but it barely got me high, you are not a good drug dealer." She was babbling, "I'll stop now."

"Television, alcohol and drugs- that's productive." Klaus remarked.

"Well we all can't get engaged, can we?" She kissed Kol's cheek, wiping the lip gloss away from his skin with her thumb. "You should visit me soon. I miss you."

"I miss you as well." Kol said, cutting his eyes towards Klaus while she walked away. "You're an ass."

"Why is she here?" Klaus asked, "Why did you and Rebekah invite her?"

"Because she's known Matt since they were in the womb and she is his best friend." Kol answered, "Plus, she's our sister even if you've casted her away like yesterday's news."

"That's not how it is."

"Isn't it?" Kol questioned, "The blonde bimbo on your arm says differently."

Klaus sighed, "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"No, you don't have to explain it to me but you sure as hell better explain it to Elena." Kol threatened him, "Or so help me god- Mikael won't be the only original seeking your head on a silver plate."

"You don't mean that."

"Look me in my eyes and tell me I don't mean it." Kol said, "You've gone off the reservation, Klaus. You don't write, you don't call, you don't even text then the next thing we know- you're engaged. We thought you came to your senses- we thought you went back to her and you didn't!" He paused, "Soul mates, remember that? Your souls are connected. They are one. The fact that you're going against that means that you're breaking her soul."

"I'm breaking her soul? Word of advice, Kol- lay of the alcohol."

"Word of advice, Klaus- suck my dick." Kol said then he took in a deep breath, "You love her so much, I just don't understand what you're doing."

Klaus sighed, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course not but you're going to tell me anyway."

"Victoria is part of one of the most powerful witch lineages in the world. I've really made a deal with the devil this time, Kol. Her father has agreed to rid this planet of Mikael once and for all if I take his oldest daughters hand in marriage."

"That makes no sense." Kol shook his head, "Why you?"

"I said they were the most powerful, not the most feared."

Kol rolled his eyes, "Most powerful vampire in the world marries into a powerful witch family and suddenly they control the world."

"Exactly."

"So you don't love her?"

"God no." Klaus shrugged, "She's fairly attractive but she isn't…she lacks…" He met his brother's eyes, "She isn't her."

"You really have made a deal with the devil." Kol took a sip of his drink, "If they're powerful enough to rid the world of Mikael then their powerful enough to kill you or one of us."

"Exactly."

"Damn."

"Damn, is right." Klaus breathed, "She'll die soon…what's fifty years?"

Kol looked at him, "To you, nothing but to Elena- it's an entire lifetime to move on from you. She's strong, Klaus… she'll get over you, she'll get over this and she might walk away missing pieces of herself and she might be changed by the pain she'll go through but she'll walk away knowing she can live without you."

"She'll love me though, just like I will always love her. It can be fixed- mended."

"No, it can't." Kol said, "That's your problem, Klaus. You're so used to people handing you things because they fear you but she isn't afraid of you. She owes you nothing and you can't intimidate her into a relationship with you. She's stronger than you…and quite frankly, she's better than you."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

"Here to insult my lifestyle?" She asked while he leaned his back against the balcony. He pressed the imported beer bottle against his lips, sipping slowly before he responded. His tie was loosened around his neck, his hair was slightly disturbed and his eyes were hazing with drunkenness. She wanted to kiss him but she also wanted to punch him in the throat.

"That wasn't my intention." He told her, turning his body to match her position. He placed his open palms against the wood, uncrossed his legs and glanced over at her. "Listen, Elena I-"

She put her hand up, "I don't want to listen to you." She nearly hissed, "Not anymore…wait, on second thought I do want to listen to you explain yourself. How could you get engaged? How could you move on so quickly-" She didn't realize she was crying until his hands were gripping her face, "I just don't understand."

"I don't want you to try to understand… this is what's best." He told her. She could tell he was trying to be convincing but something in his eyes told her he wasn't exactly sure what was _best. _

"That's really funny because that's what Stefan said when he brought back Mikael. It's for the best…right, well here's what's best for you. Remove. That. Tattoo. It means nothing because obviously our relationship meant _nothing _to you." Her tone was harsh and as sharp as a knife.

"I won't do that."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, Elena!" Klaus said, "I love you more than anything and I know my actions aren't the best evidence of that love but I need you to trust me." His hand wiped away her stray tears, "I'm well aware that this should be your wedding…our wedding… I know that and I promise one day I will make this up to you."

She stepped away from him, "You can't give me an I.O.U on love Klaus…that's not how it works. You know that I love you and I will always love you but you have to make a choice… is this worth it? Is she worth losing me forever?"

"Forever?" Klaus looked at her- just realizing that Kol was right. "Elena…I don't want to lose you forever but this is extremely important. It is actually a matter of life and death."

"She's important to you?" She started to laugh, "That's a stupid question, of course she is- you're engaged. Who am I to ruin your happiness?" She held up her index finger, "Oh that's right- I'm your soul mate. The one and only woman that you should ever be engaged to. Excuse me if I sound jealous but I'm pretty sure I have that right to be."

"It's not like that, Elena! Hey, Elena Gilbert!" He said while she started to walk away from him, "She's the only chance we have to get rid of Mikael. I've made a deal with her family and in exchange for their participation of destroying Mikael, I have to marry Victoria."

Elena scrunched up her nose, "I didn't want to know her name!" She paused, "You ever wonder why you were alone for a thousand years, Klaus? It's because you let your conquest get ahead of your heart. I need an answer, although I'm pretty sure you've already given it to me. I need to know if you're prepared to lose me forever for this… deal."

"If I don't do this, I'll lose you forever anyway." Klaus said, "So the anger, the pain, the tears, the sorrow, the grief and whatever accompanies losing you as my lover brings- I'm willing to take it because I can't breathe knowing the possible breath I take didn't pass through your lips as well… I'd rather you hate me for the rest of your existence than end your existence because I let my emotions get in the way." She faced him. She looked him over- probably read his mind the way she was staring at him. In a millisecond, she was jumping up in his arms- her legs wrapping around his waist. Their lips touched while their shared breaths mingled in the air. She heard the pop of electricity from the dining area as the entire building turned pitch black. They both laughed at the shrill scream that escaped Rebekah's lips. The moment was perfect. It was like old times for a while.

But that soon passed because even as they pushed themselves through the door and navigated their bodies into a dark closet without being seen- she knew it was goodbye. This was the last night they would share together as long as he was bound by Victoria's magic. What would she do with her life without him- really, without him? She had no clue. Maybe this was a form of temporary closure- she could move on with her life while he fought his war with his father.

She could go back to school. She could meet someone. She could fall in love- of course, it would never be as strong as her love for Klaus- maybe that was a bad idea (scratch love off the list). But, she could buy a fast car and drive around Europe if she wanted to. Her life had endless possibilities.

She knew she would wait for him though- no matter how long it took- she would wait. She would hold a burning candle to his name until the day they could love again. Why, because she was positive people would ask why she couldn't move on…. Because you don't give up on your soul mate, especially when they're trying to be noble (no matter how idiotic they are).


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Rebekah's name flashed on her cell phone while she downed another pint of ice cream. She answered, "Bekah, oh my god…I so needed to hear your voice!" She was an emotional wreck. She couldn't stop eating- she didn't know if it was because she was so stressed or if she was really that hungry all the time. Her hair was pulled to the side in a sloppy bun and she wore a pair of sweatpants that said PINK across the rear along with Jeremy's bleach stained Mystic Grill t-shirt.

"Elena, you called seventeen times I thought you were dying." Rebekah sounded a little annoyed. Of course, she was ten weeks into her honeymoon with Matt and Elena was interrupting it so she had every right to be. Still, ten weeks in what was there left to do besides have endless amounts of sex or play scrabble? "Or worse. I thought everyone else was dead."

"I might as well be dying." Elena sobbed, "I'm pregnant!" Even the sound of her confession sounded preposterous. As a vampire, she shouldn't be able to get pregnant. That was one of her main reasons for not wanting to become a vampire.

No response.

"I'm freakin' pregnant! I didn't even know I could get pregnant!"

Still, no response.

"Rebekah, say something because you're the first person I've told and I feel so stupid."

"Holy shit!" Rebekah finally caught up with her, "Holy shit… you're pregnant." Rebekah sounded a lot happier than Elena. No, she sounded ecstatic. "Who's the father?"

"Really?" Elena said, "It's Klaus, who else would it be?"

Rebekah giggled, "I was just making sure I'm going to be an aunt and not some other bitch." She breathed out of sigh mixed with a small laugh, "How far along are you?"

For dramatic effect, Elena said, "When was your rehearsal dinner again?"

"You had slutty wedding sex with my brother at my wedding?" Rebekah sounded amused, not annoyed with the situation. "His fiancée was there! Oh my god! That's so horrible!"

"I still feel like soul mate beats fiancée, Rebekah." Elena pointed out, "I have a pouch…I can't wear my skin tight jeans anymore and that's upsetting me and this is so wrong on so many levels. I can't have a child- I don't deserve to have a child."

"Shut up Elena. This is a gift." Rebekah informed her, "You have been blessed with getting pregnant although I find this extremely odd that you would get pregnant now and not before because let's face it, you two went at it like rabbits and I'm pretty sure you never used- um- protection."

"I think I have bad karma." Elena said, "Worst possible time to be with-child."

"You did not just use the term with-child." Rebekah laughed, "This is just amazing…god, you're pregnant Elena. Sound happy. There are hundreds of female vampires that would kill for this, including me…"

"I think I'm just scared." Elena admitted, "Mikael's out there and news like this travels fast. How am I going to tell Klaus?"

"Don't?" Rebekah suggested, "I mean, not now at least…"

"Kol told you, didn't he? About the whole argument thing?" Elena slammed her face into the pillow on the couch, "I'm an idiot. I gave him an ultimatum and he didn't choose me. I get it though, I understand completely why he's doing this and in a way I admire him for it but at the same time- I thought we were the strongest together. We are the two most powerful vampires in the world and he's letting his manly-hood get in the way."

Rebekah cleared her throat, "That's not why I'm telling you not to tell him right now, sweetheart. I'm telling you not to tell him because I don't think you're ready to have that conversation with him. He loves you and you love him and this is going to work out but you can't get yourself stressed. You have to give yourself time before you jump aboard the Klaus train because we both know that's a hectic ride."

"I have to get stronger, Rebekah." Elena told her, "I've been reading some of Bonnie's spell books and practicing with her- some pretty powerful stuff, according to her but it felt simple to me… I don't know. I've been stubborn thinking I could be Elena Gilbert the vampire when I have two more sides to me. I'm a werewolf- I don't want to change or anything but there are some parts of being a werewolf that might be fun and more importantly, I'm a witch. Esther made me this way so I could be with Klaus, maybe she knew that things wouldn't always be perfect. If I want to be with Klaus, I have to be stronger."

"But you have to be safe too. I don't want you straining yourself." Rebekah made a weird sound, "I just got the perfect idea…I'm going to move in with you!"

"What?"

"Well, I'm going to move into the old house with Matt but I'm going to be with you to make sure you aren't being stupid."

"No, Rebekah you were talking about Italy…don't come here!"

"Yes!" Rebekah squealed, "It's already decided. I am on pregnant Elena duty."

"I'll be fine."

"With Meredith, Jeremy and Alaric? You've got to be kidding me." Rebekah said, "Meredith fixes medical problems with vampire blood, Alaric drinks a lot and Jeremy is Jeremy. You need me. My niece needs me."

"I'm glad you've already decided the sex of my child." Elena responded, "When should I be expecting you?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Paris is getting boring."

"I thought you went to Russia?"

"We've been everywhere."

"I had a plan, Rebekah…I was going to go everywhere too."

"Funny how life works, right?"

"Fucking hilarious."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Rebekah and Matt met Elena at the Grill the next day. She actually put on makeup which was a big improvement for her. Her hair was straightened and parted down the middle like she used to do it- that is, when she was completely depressed with her life. "You're barely fat, Elena." Matt greeted her, "You're not even showing."

"Matt!" Rebekah hit him, "I can't believe you just said that." She rolled her eyes and smiled widely at Elena. "You're absolutely glowing."

"That's because it's really hot in here, ever since they lost their most valuable employee this place has really lost its touch." She winked, "Jeremy holds down the fort but he doesn't have your touch, Matt."

"Jeremy can't even compare to my dish washing skills." Matt joked, "Does he know yet?"

She exhaled, "No."

"So, you're telling me that it's just Rebekah and me that know you're knocked up?"

"Matt, again! She's _with-child_."

"No, he's right. I'm knocked up." Elena nodded, "I am a single, pathetic, pregnant girl stuck in her small, nosey, murderous town."

"Easy on the adjectives." Matt said, "You are not pathetic and I hardly qualify you as single. You're bound for life to-"

"To a man that's marrying another woman because he thinks I'm too fragile to kill his father." Elena finished his sentence. "Aren't I just living the life?"

"Whoa, self-punching-bag alert." Rebekah gripped her hands, "You aren't pathetic, Elena Gilbert. This town is murderous and nosey but you aren't pathetic." Elena nodded, "Now what's first on the pregnancy list?"

"What?"

"Pregnancy list. Do you have a doctor?"

"No."

"You're ten weeks pregnant and you don't have a doctor? Elena!" Rebekah started to lecture her on the importance of a good doctor and how high-risk her pregnancy already was due to the fact she had a "special circumstance." She let go of Elena's hands and said, "You're lucky you aren't getting sick yet. That's usually common by now- I googled it."

"What did you use?"

" ."

"Oh, I used what to expect when you're expecting."

"Is it informative?"

"Yes." Elena nodded, "I have been feeling slightly nauseas but I've been able to get past it. Did you know by week 11 the baby will have fingers and toes? That's so cool."

"I thought you weren't excited."

"I don't know. I think I'm excited but also very worried…I'm just emotional."

"Symptom of pregnancy."

"Symptom of life." Matt corrected Rebekah, "Elena. Get excited! You're having a child and that's good news despite the circumstances."

"Matt's right." Rebekah sung, "It's great news even if Klaus isn't here to be part of it."

"Please don't say things like that, Rebekah. I understand you're trying to be inspirational but I want him here so bad… and I just don't need to be reminded that he isn't." Elena shrugged, "One day things are going to work out and I'm going to tell him I'm pregnant or that we have a child and it'll be okay and he'll be there then."

"Exactly." Rebekah tried to agree with her but she had her doubts. Klaus was on a mission and he'd already cut himself off from everyone. She'd tried calling a thousand times already- even if Elena didn't want him to know. "You know you have to tell Kol, right? He'll be super happy about it but if he doesn't hear it from you- his feelings will get hurt."

"I know. I just don't know how to tell him…should I be like, _Yay! I'm pregnant! You're going to be an uncle! _Or _Hey, guess what? I'm pregnant_."

"You should just tell him you're pregnant and you're kind of excited about it and kind of scared at the same time." Rebekah shrugged, "Just be honest with him like always."

XXX

"Kolly, Kol, Kolito… " She sang on his voicemail, "I've tried calling you seven times in the last three hours and you're ignoring me…or your dead… which, I don't know what I would do if you're dead right now. This isn't something I wanted to leave on your voicemail but I'm pregnant… and before you start with that smartass mouth of yours, it's definitely Klaus' child." She laughed, "Oh my god…I'm pregnant. I am pregnant at what? How old am I supposed to be? Let's see, nineteen when Klaus left me, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two… well, I guess I'm about to be twenty-three. I guess twenty-three isn't so bad, of course, I'm not married but who's married anymore? I just can't seem to stop talking, can I?" She sighed, "I love you Kol and I miss you ever day, get back to me as soon as you can."

"That was a lot of words." Rebekah sighed, "It's four in the morning and you're watching Supernatural- again. Sleep."

"Don't you have a husband to get home to?" Elena whined, "Like seven hours ago?"

"My niece versus my husband who has probably stayed up all night with your brother playing XBOX games? Hmm…"

"That's right, Jer didn't come home." She yawned, "I'm going to tell everyone tomorrow."

"You mean, later today?"

"Yeah." She yawned once more, "I'm not ashamed that I'm pregnant. I'm happy, I really am happy I just- I don't want to screw up." She shrugged, "I don't want to do something wrong and harm my child. I want to have control over myself."

"You won't screw up. You are maternal and loving… I love you so much, Elena." Rebekah reached over and rubbed the small round pouch. "I will love this baby more though, sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll understand." She laughed, "This baby is going to be beautiful."

"I hope she looks like you."

"I hope he looks like Klaus… and I hope he's noble like Elijah. God, I forgot to tell Elijah."

"Don't do that. Older brother will beat the hell out of younger brother." She informed Elena with a sweet smile on her face, "Not that it wouldn't be funny to watch." She continued to rub Elena, "What else do you hope for?"

"I hope he doesn't do drugs like Kol, and I hope he doesn't know the pain of death… I hope he lives forever like me because I'm selfish and I don't want to know the pain of burying my own child." She continued, "I hope I'm half as good as my mother was to Jeremy and me- I really hope she passed something on because she was so perfect. I hope we can leave this life behind because I don't want to run forever- not that I'm really running right now but one day I will have to… I just want to have a two story house and family game night."

"The American dream, right?" Rebekah snorted, "You should aim higher, think three story mansion on the edge of the Italian coast- fine wine every night and if you're lucky, scrabble." Rebekah reminded Elena of Caroline sometimes. "And you can have your fast car like you wanted…"

Elena yawned again, "I hope that Klaus will be able to love his child one day if I don't get eternity with the baby." Then Elena's eyes shut and she started snoring immediately. Rebekah looked at the peaceful Elena. She felt jealous of her but then again, she felt sorry for her. Rebekah loved her brother but she hated the situations he always got himself in. Still, a baby was a blessing for her family. They needed innocence. Rebekah already knew that she would lay down her life for the baby and Elena if she had to.

She hoped Elena got everything she wanted- everything she needed. She hoped the baby would grow and be healthy and absolutely lovely. She hoped her brother would have a part in the baby's life- soon. She hoped for everything positive that could happen for the family but she knew, better than most, that hope only got someone so far when they didn't have an ounce of faith.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

She woke up in her bed, tucked underneath her new Lauren Conrad comforter to Kol's god awful breath. "Oh, look who's awake!" He sung before she covered her mouth and ran into her bathroom, slamming the door. Rebekah opened the bedroom door quickly- listening to the violent sound of Elena gagging.

"What the hell did you do?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"I think it's my breath…" Kol said, "All I ate was a bacon cheeseburger with extra onions three hours ago when I was driving like a bat out of hell to get here."

"She's pregnant, asshole!" Rebekah said, walking over to the door. "Are you okay?" She asked while she gave her brother the finger. Kol heard her mumble something about "extra onions" but he didn't catch the whole thing. He was mesmerized by the fact Elena was pregnant. He didn't know whether to jump for joy or hate the fact that she would once more be held back from her dreams by another Mikaelson.

"I'm fine." Elena croaked, "I hate being pregnant."

"Is she crying?"

"Symptom of pregnancy." Rebekah explained.

"Symptom of life." Matt walked into the room with a bag of powder donuts, "I guess these aren't what she wants right now."

"Oh, but I want them." Kol snatched the bag out of Matt's hand which gained him one of Rebekah's scolding looks. "What?"

"By taking food from Elena you're taking food from the baby." She told him, "So unless you want to be known as the uncle that starves your niece than I wouldn't eat those."

"Or nephew." Elena corrected Rebekah while she opened the door, swishing Listerine around in her mouth and then spitting it in the sink. "You can eat them, don't worry."

"See, don't worry _Rebekah_."

XXX

**19 Weeks Pregnant**

Elena was getting used to Rebekah's behavior as she stayed with her almost every night of the week, only going home to do her "wifely duties"- but it didn't really matter because Matt seemed to be at her house all the time with Jeremy and Alaric. To Elena's surprise, Alaric and Jeremy took the news of the pregnancy fairly well although they had a few choice words for Klaus…but Elena ignored them and she hoped the growing baby in her did too because her (expensive) doctor told her the baby could hear now and she just didn't need her child hearing all that negativity.

Next week, she would find out the sex of her baby. Rebekah seemed more excited about that than anyone because then she could "buy the entire fucking Macy's." Elena didn't want to know but she did at the same time? She was completely confused on the subject.

Kol, of course, was being a mixture of a jackass, a slob and her best friend. He moved himself into her house and took a platonic residence in her bed or on her window seat if Rebekah wanted to sleep in the bed. Alaric joked that they needed a bigger house- he was probably right.

It was late in the night, pizza boxes were scattered across the hardwood floors in the living room and they'd just finished watching "White House Down" for the thousandth time- and not because the boys wanted to see it either, because Channing Tatum was so freakin' hot! "Are you excited about next week?" Jeremy asked his sister, rubbing her hand.

"Yes." Elena said, "There are so many things I want to buy that I can't without knowing the gender… what if we monogramed everything?"

"Not if the baby's a boy." It seemed Matt, Jeremy and Kol agreed on the statement because they all blurted different rendition of the sentence.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "Monogramming is cute!"

"For girls." Kol whined, "He doesn't need any frilly ass stickers!"

"But babies are frilly."

"Not this one. I refuse to let this baby be frilly." Kol said, "We're talking guns, bitches, and-"

"Finish that sentence you're dead." Elena warned him, "Bitches? Really Kol? How disrespectful!"

"Oh, I guess the correct term is thot, right?"

"Thot?" Rebekah asked, "What does that mean?"

"The hoe of today." Jeremy told her, "T-H-O-T."

"Oh… no, no thots!"

Kol looked down at his pocket while his phone started to ring. He picked it up. "Unknown number, probably Elijah." He pressed answer but Elena already knew in the pit of her stomach that it wasn't Elijah. It was Klaus. He was calling to tell Kol that he'd either gotten married, that he was about to get married, or, hopefully, the marriage was off. Either way, it had to do with Victoria and his vows. Kol stood up to walk out of the house but Alaric walked in yelling something like:

"I got beer, Doritos and for the lovely pregnant girl I have your favorite ice cream!"

"Yes!" Jeremy yelled- completely forgetting the fact that everyone was holding their breath so they wouldn't make a sound or give away their location, "Beer! Matt, Matt, Alaric found this beer the other day when you were _too busy_ to hang out and it is the fucking best thing that will ever go into your mouth."

"Shut the fuck up." Rebekah hissed- pointing to the phone, "Klaus, idiots!"

Kol pressed the speakerphone button because he'd given up on silence and he wanted everyone to hear what Klaus had to say. "You're with Elena?" Klaus asked slowly, "Why?"

Alaric, who was probably a little cozy with the whiskey, replied with "They're getting married. I know, real shocker. No one saw it coming. It just happened. Now, don't get too upset because I know it's not fair that your soul mate would marry someone else- Oh, wait…"

"I always visit Elena." Kol ignored Alaric's comment, "You know that."

"With Rebekah?"

"Yeah." Kol shrugged, "I mean, our father doesn't really want to kill us- he wants to kill you so we figured it would be a great time to throw a fucking party in Mystic Falls- I would invite you but that would just be awkward."

"Can I talk to Elena?" He seemed annoyed.

"Yes." Elena answered, "I'm here. Speak."

"Alone."

"Uh…" She looked at her support group for advice and they all seemed to agree that she needed to talk to him. "Sure." She took Kol's phone and walked upstairs, knowing very well that the vampires could hear everything. "Is she sleeping or something? Or did you really miss Kol?"

"Can we not do this?"

"Do what?" Elena asked innocently, "Oh, yeah, the whole bitter thing because you left me stranded in New Orleans and then three years later you're engaged to a girl you don't even love because I'm not capable of defending myself."

"That would be the thing I was referring to." She could imagine him sneaking around the house making sure no one could hear him talking to her. "Did you dream about me last night? Because I dreamt about you."

"I always dream about you Klaus." Another symptom of her life. "I close my eyes and think about how we had it all and you let your foolish pride get in the way of it. I close my eyes feeling sorry for you because you have no one."

"I have you." He told her.

"No…Klaus, you don't. You made your choice and now you have to suffer the consequences. Don't let the fact that I love you unconditionally fool you into thinking I am yours- it's just not how life works."

"So you _are _with Kol?"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I'm not with Kol. That's your brother and highly disrespectful towards everything we had."

"Have."

"Had." She told him, "What we had."

Her leaned against her window bench, "I have something I have to tell you and you're going to freak out. But before I tell you I want you to know that I meant what I said before. You have to deal with the consequences of your choice. I'm not going to give into you easily when you decide to come back around. And if you know one thing about my bloodline, it's the fact that we can _play _hard to get when we have to…so… and also, I want you to know that there are days I just want to punch you in your face because you're such an idiot and it's ridiculous you don't have more faith in me." She sighed but she never got to tell him she was pregnant.

"Elena… I'm sorry but I have to go." Klaus said, "I'll be in touch with Kol in a few weeks but from a different number. Understand that this isn't how I want things to go but it's what's safe especially if you all are stubborn and won't separate."

"What, Klaus, no this is important!"

"I love you." He told her fiercely, "I love you with everything I have and that will never change and as for your game, the one your bloodline plays so well, I accept your challenge."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

She rolled her eyes when her phone started to ring- it was 7:10 PM and she was completely exhausted. She longed for the time when she could stay up all night without a care in the world… Then again, she liked being tucked under her comforter for hours while she dreamed about Klaus or the baby or Klaus and the baby. Her dreams were always peaceful- sometimes he would come back to her and they would reunite with sweet smiles and other times they would be eating dinner at a long table with every family member there, laughing and joking while they adored the baby. "Hello?" She asked groggily, "Who is this?" She wanted it to be Klaus…she wanted to hear his voice again.

"I think you know." She shot up out of her bed at the sound of his voice. There was something wild in her eyes that could only be triggered by complete and total fear. She could feel her heartbeat radiating in her ears like a loud drum.

"Mikael!" She hissed, beginning to shake while she gained composure. "How did you get this number?"

"I have…connections." Mikael responded, "It wasn't that hard to find you, same town- same house…I hear you've switched sides, I was quite displeased but when I heard you not only switched sides, you took NiKlaus as your lover I was highly disappointed." He talked like a sociopath- calm even though he was furious. "Now, what am I supposed to do about that?"

"I don't know where he is." Elena said honestly, "I don't even know how to reach him so threatening me is useless."

"Nothing is ever useless." Mikael laughed evilly, "He loves you and will love you until I kill him… did you know Klaus is extremely foolish? I'm sure you've figured it out. A simple promise from a blonde idiot with enough strength to start a hurricane and he puts all his eggs in the basket. They tell him that he can kill me, donate a few years of his life to the cause and then everything will go back to normal… they tell him you will be safe, but they can't protect you, can they? Only you can protect you…" She felt tears in her eyes, "You're a different type of abomination but he doesn't trust you… he doesn't trust in you…"

"You're trying to get a reaction out of me that I won't provide. Tell me what you want." She said, "Do you want to take me as bait? Do you want to kill me? Do you want me to join your side?"

"I want a lot of things. I could use you as bait and he would come running to your rescue, but that's a cliché situation. I could kill you but where's the fun in that? I could ask you to join me but it would never be real." Mikael sighed, "I wonder what Klaus wants…marrying a woman because he wants power but wanting you to love him at the same time- that's dangerous. Do you think he'll still want you in a year? In ten years? Fifteen? I think you worry that he won't love you forever because Esther made you for him, not the other way around…what if you're just a toy to him?"

"Stop that."

"What if he loves Victoria? Hmm… What if he never comes back? I imagine these questions circle in your head all the time, am I correct? You probably look at the ceiling at night wondering if he ever loved you… and if he loves you as much as he claims to, why did he leave you? Why did he leave you unprotected? If you were strong enough to be left alone, why is Victoria the better option?"

"This conversation is over."

"This conversation might be over, but this isn't." Mikael told her, "You won't know when I'm striking, you'll just know that I'm striking. You're already dead, Elena Gilbert- you were dead the second you laid down with him."

The line went dead.

"Kol!" Elena screamed from her bedroom as her emotions got the best of her. What if he loved Victoria? She hadn't let the thought cross her mind. She felt her stomach protectively because she felt so threatened by the phone call.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?"

"I don't want to be pregnant anymore, Kol… I can't be pregnant because I'm dead. I'm dead." Her heart was breaking just like her knees were giving out from underneath her. Kol caught her, "I'm dead." She repeated, "Because Mikael said I'm dead…just now on the phone and- and I don't want my baby to die because the baby doesn't deserve that."

"Sh, Elena…" Kol ran his fingers down her hair, "You aren't dead, you're glowing. Mikael is only trying to intimidate you. He's reaching because he's scared."

"Of what?"

"Of you."

XXX

Depression bubbled in her stomach while the gel caused goose bumps to surface on her stomach. The woman moved the ultrasound equipment around for a few seconds until the sound of the baby's heartbeat rang through the room. Rebekah squeezed Elena's hand encouraging her to get excited but Elena didn't feel like getting excited. She felt like crying. All she wanted to do was cry and sit in her room- alone. "Come on Elena smile!"

"Hey, can you give us a minute?" Elena asked the lady kindly. The woman nodded and exited the room quickly while Elena turned to Rebekah. "I don't want to smile, Rebekah. Please, just stop telling me to smile."

"I understand that this sucks, Elena." Rebekah said sternly, "You want Klaus here with you and that's just not possible. You wish Mikael would drop dead and right now, but that's just not happening. Hell, you probably wish you were somewhere on the beach with a bottle of bourbon but that's not what's going on. You are pregnant. You have a growing child inside of you that needs to know that he or she will be loved. You don't have the time to sit and wallow in your own sadness. This is one of the greatest moments of your life so get off the pity train and try to make the best of this."

"Get the doctor." Elena told her, unable to comment on Rebekah's speech. Sure, she was thinking a list of cusswords and mean comments but she wasn't really that far gone to say them. Rebekah did as she was told and returned with the woman.

They started where they left off- except, the doctor had to reapply the cold gel. The lady pushed on her stomach which was uncomfortable until she relocated the baby. "Your baby is the size of a mango." She said, "Did you want to know the sex?"

"Yes, she does." Rebekah said while Elena thought on it. Elena wasn't sure she wanted to know because it would only get her attached to the child and she didn't want to get attached if she was about to die.

The lady nodded before she blurted out, "A boy! Congratulations!"

And suddenly, Elena was uncontrollably sobbing.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

Boy means blue and Elena was sick of the color blue. Rebekah, Matt, Kol, Jeremy, Alaric, and Meredith were smothering her with the color blue. It was week 26 and she was officially fat and back on board with the pregnancy in general even if she was still sad and scared. All it took was a few phone calls with Kieran to change her mind- his words turned around in her head every day. "You have been blessed with time. Don't let doubt control your time."

She was unable to nap due to insomnia- which was actually a symptom of pregnancy. Her navel was poked out which pissed her off and the tattoo on her skin looked ridiculous (only to her). Still, she looked cute pregnant- at least, that's what everyone told her when they saw her. No one ever asked who the father was but she could hear them whispering. Sometimes, Alaric was accused of being the father (thanks to Carol Lockwood's rumors before she died) and other times Kol was the father. Elena found that she didn't care about the rumors at all.

"I'm two thirds through my pregnancy and I still can't believe it." She told Alaric at The Grill over a steaming plate of French fries. "I'm so fat! My belly button's in a different zip code than the rest of my body!"

Alaric just laughed at her while he dumped ketchup on the plate- then he stopped. His gaze was cold, "Look who decided to rejoin the town…"

Elena turned around, her knuckles turning white while she clinched her fist. "I'm going to kill him." She said, "Right now in front of all these people." Alaric knew she was being serious by the look in her eyes. "I've been waiting for this."

"Elena, if you kill Stefan, you'll only hurt Damon. Stefan is all Damon has."

"No, no Damon has me and he has Caroline- he doesn't need Stefan. Stefan released Mikael." She was breathing heavily.

"Alright, you can't kill him in your condition. You have a pretty obvious weakness right now." Alaric told her, "Do you want to leave?"

"I want to look him in the eye and show him what he's done to my family." Elena said, "I want him to know that he's hurt my family because he was jealous." She stood up, crossing the room to look at Stefan. He looked at her. Their eyes locking for a few seconds before his shifted to her belly. When she was inches from him, he looked down at his feet. "Look at me!" She demanded, "You will look at me when I tell you this-" She hissed, "I hate you."

"Elena…"

"I hate you because you have broken everything good. You have destroyed my family and I will never forgive you."

"It's what's best for you."

"At this point, my baby won't ever know his father because of you! When he is born, tell him it's for the best!" She slapped him in the face, "You think you've won but this child is proof that you've failed. I haven't stopped loving him and I never will and one son of bitch hunter won't change that."

XXX

"Alright! Baby names!" Elena yelled over the sounds of speeding cars hitting brick walls on the television. "I think I've decided on a first name." They all gathered around the kitchen table, reaching for all the junk food in the room at once. Jeremy brought the ice cream over to Elena with a smile on his face. Jeremy liked the fact Elena was pregnant and he was going to be an uncle.

"What?" Rebekah said, "Without us?" She looked genuinely insulted by the statement. Rebekah probably had a list of names that ranged from popular names of the year to ancient names she liked when she was a child.

"Wendell." Elena said, "I like the name Wendell. It's cute but then again, I wanted to name the baby after dad too...So, I don't know what to do."

"Wendell Grayson sounds ridiculous." Jeremy pointed out, "Grayson Wendell's worse."

"You could shorten Grayson. Wendell Gray sounds awesome."

"Yeah but then it sounds like Wendell Bray and I'm not trying to name my baby based on television shows like Bones."

"Wendell Gray Mikaelson sounds forced. It doesn't flow." Matt said, "The name has to flow like Elena Gilbert, Jeremy Gilbert, Rebekah Mikaelson, and of course, Alaric Saltzman."

Rebekah raised her hand, "I have an app!"

Jeremy rolled his eyes, "Probably a bogus one that suggests names like Anita Bath or something."

Rebekah brought the app up and selected a few categories for origin, "Alright, we want an English name that is possibly creative, right?"

"Right." Elena agreed, "And because I know you want to- we can explore ancient categories as well."

"Thank god!" Rebekah said, "I couldn't deal if you named my nephew Bobby or something."

She rolled her eyes, "Bobby's not that bad."

"But it is." Rebekah pressed 'generate' on the app and the first name that popped up was, "Cade."

"Cade- hmm, Wendell Cade."

"Let me try!" Matt took the phone out of her hands, "Alright-" He laughed, "Oh, yes you have to name him Zachariah."

"Try inputting Wendell so we can compare Wendell with the name that appears on the screen…" Jeremy suggested, "Because Elena loves that name so much."

"Oh my god, Wendell Satan."

"I think that's an omen, Elena." Kol said jokingly, "My turn." He pressed the button, "Wendell Dean- I like that."

"It's sweet, Wendell Dean Mikaelson." Elena agreed, "Okay, my turn. Let's see… Wendell Cassias." She looked around the room and started laughing, "No. I'm going to try again. Wendell Brook, that sounds better."

They all took turns trying to generate names even though they were sure they wouldn't pick one out that night. Between Rebekah and Elena, the whole thing was indecisive and forever changing.


End file.
